Twelve Shattered Mirrors
by Solvdrage
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto never abandons his promises, even in defiance of time. Fleeing a terrible future betrayal after Pain's invasion, Naruto seeks to restore the dream of Konoha by destroying the reality of Konoha.
1. The Shattering

**Author's Notes: **Solvdrage here with another Naruto fanfic! This story is an attempt at xxfreefallangelxx's Naruto Time Travel Challenge.

WARNING! This story is going to be dark in the beginning. I'm not going to lie. I feel like I'm channeling enough **GRIMDARK** to make Games Workshop and the F.E.A.R series proud at times. The nature of the challenge doesn't lend itself to cheerfulness, at least to me. There will be bright spots, however. Namely, NaruHina. I ask that you give this story a chance. I promise that Prince Naruto and The Hyūga's Hound will continue to be ultimately uplifting stories. So, if this isn't your cup of tea, the tone of this story won't carry over to the others.

I know I usually put my Author's Notes at the end, but I feel like this is the best place to put this. Oh, and I hope no one likes Danzō. Because you'll probably hate him after this chapter (no worries, not bashing, at least that isn't my aim. I try not to bash any characters). Please leave reviews! I'm really excited to see how people react to this story! Even if it's telling me to get back to work on The Hyūga's Hound and Chains of the Kindred.

* * *

Team Guy was madly rushing through the forests in an attempt to return to Konoha. They had seen the smoke plume and a great dread filled their hearts. Neji had activated his Byakugan to divine the cause of the calamity. His wordless cry of agony was easily the most terrifying experience his teammates Tenten and Rock Lee had ever experienced. Might Guy remembered the Nine Tailed Fox's rampage. The team rushed off. Neji never deactivated his Bloodline Limit.

"No…" He whispered and leapt to the top of the nearest tree. Neji's closest friends and teacher quickly followed.

Rock Lee stared in slack jawed shock at the devastation in front of him. "That's one of Jiraiya-sama's Summoned Toads!"

"What?" Guy shouted in disbelief. It was not just _one_ of the Summoned Toads; it was Gamabunta, the chief of all toads. The Toad Chief's happi jacket was torn and the great toad was unconscious.

"ANBU!" Neji stated in a tone that was a forced attempt at his usual self control. Three masked ANBU wearing dark grey cloaks appeared on the branches a few feet away.

"Konoha has been attacked. We shall show you the safest way to enter the village."

Team Guy nodded at the ANBU and followed them. Neji knew the ANBU should make him feel secure but there was a wrongness at the edge of his perception that he could not shake.

* * *

In a darkened complex far from the epicenter of Pain's destruction of Konoha, a crippled man sat on a throne. Danzō sat silently and contemplated his rise to power and waited for the reports to filter in.

"Danzō-sama, the Kikaichū Colony that tagged Nezu reports that Team Guy has been intercepted and delayed."

The Leader of ROOT nodded at Aburame Torune. Danzō was aware of the cruelty of his actions, but Konoha was greater than the life of any one individual.

* * *

Haruno Sakura struggled through the debris littering the ground. She could barely stand but she continued onwards. One of her friends was done there! Hinata had been severely injured in her selfless attempt to save Naruto. Sakura had to save her!

"Haruno Sakura, please refrain from entering the crater, it is not safe."

Sakura whirled around despite the thrill of pain shooting up her left leg. "One of my friends is down there and I have to help her!"

"Please desist." There was something off about the ANBU's tone. Sakura glared at the shrouded figure and was struck by a memory of Sai.

"I'm a medic nin and _I am going to save my friend's life_!" Sakura growled and tried to turn. The ANBU sighed and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"If you are going to be so stubborn, let me at least show you a safe way down."

Sakura huffed and nodded.

* * *

Nagato slowly began to form a hand seal as he smiled at his brother apprentice. "I will believe in your dream, Uzumaki Naruto. I only hope that when I next meet Jiraiya-sensei, he will forgive me."

Naruto smiled. "Ero-sennin will forgive you. He was stronger than me in that way."

It had been years since Nagato truly laughed. However, the name Naruto had given Jiraiya-sensei was so true and brought back memories of a happier time. "Uzumaki Naruto, I wish we could have met years ago. We would have helped to guide the world to peace."

The Rinnegan wielder and the Sage shared the laugh and unspoken memories of their beloved teacher. In that moment, they forgot about their total exhaustion, their previous battles and the pain that had forged them into men. In that moment, they were brothers.

The Last Student of Jiraiya slid his master's first book into his jacket. "We still can…"

A flurry of shuriken, kunai and Raiton jutsu erupted. Naruto turned and leapt in front of Nagato but his body began to revolt under the constant strain. The rigors of the battle against Nagato's Deva Path, the aftereffects of seeing Hinata struck down in front of him and the conflicting demonic and sage energies had weakened him. The Chakra Blade Nagato had put in his stomach a few minutes ago wasn't helping either. Nagato was also experiencing something that was almost an impossibility.

_Chakra Exhaustion_.

The Planetary Devastation and the battle against Naruto had severely depleted his reserves.

Konan had been mostly silent in the exchange between the two students of Jiraiya. She leapt into battle and created a Paper Shield to defend Nagato and the young man with whom he had placed his faith.

"Danzō's puppets!" Nagato roared. In an instant, several dozen ROOT agents were launching themselves at Nagato. Naruto screamed and intercepted one of the ROOT agents. The fight should have lasted mere moments. However, Naruto was still physically exhausted and injured. The Yondaime's Legacy was winning but was fading quickly.

"Raiton: Sacrifice of Perkūnas!" The sole surviving ROOT agent screamed. There was an explosion of electrical energy that engulfed the entire chamber. Konan managed to shield herself and Nagato.

"Naruto!" The paper wielder yelled in terror. He was too close to the suicide detonation for her to shield. She heard the scream. It was a primal call of pain.

"Get Nagato-niisan out of here!" Naruto screamed as he clutched his eyes. "That bastard Danzō will send more people! GO!"

The cry was filled with pain and concern. Konan shook her head. "We'll take you with us!"

"I can't leave, Konoha. I… I have to see if Hinata and the others survived! GO! There isn't any time!"

Konan and Nagato vanished in a flurry of paper. Naruto stumbled from his brother apprentice's hideout. He began to falter when a familiar presence grabbed him.

"Naruto!" It was Neji's voice. "Your eyes…"

Naruto turned his ruined eye sockets to his friend. "Are gone. Where is Hinata? You have to take me to her!"

* * *

The surviving loyal Rookie Twelve were waiting in a clearing. They had brought their wounded comrades to an open clearing so Sakura could try to save them. Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino and Shino had been successfully healed. They would survive. Sakura did not fight the tears as she poured her chakra into Hinata's wound. All she could do is ease her friend's pain. In the distance there was the sound of branches breaking, but they were ignored.

Until a voice called out. "Hinata!"

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata responded to the call with all of her fading strength. Sakura stopped her from rising.

"Please…" Sakura whispered and turned. That could not be Naruto! Naruto was a Sage. He was a powerful, confident and unflappable man. He was the glue that held the Rookies together. He was Tsunade-shisō's successor.

The pitiful man with no eyes desperately searching for Hinata could not be Naruto. Sakura's teammate was so full of energy; so full of life. Not even in her nightmares would Sakura have pictured Naruto crawling on all fours feebly groping for Hinata.

"She's here, Naruto." Sakura took his hand and guided Naruto to where Hinata lay.

"Hinata-chan." The blond whispered. If he still had eyes, Naruto would have shed uncountable tears.

Hinata caressed her love's cheek. "I… I can't tell you how long I've waited to you call me that."

"I failed you. I know that after what I've done you can't…"

Naruto suddenly felt a sharp pain where once there was a tenderness. The wound was more agonizing than Nagato's chakra blades or the ROOT agent's Raiton. "Naruto-kun, I stand by what I say."

"Because that is our Nindo. I… I have always been blind. I should have loved you sooner."

The Hyūga Heiress shook her head. "I would have waited until the stars died for you. Naruto-kun, I have one request. I have never asked anything of you… Kiss me. Kiss me so I can die without regrets."

Naruto nodded. It was a simple thing. There was no great passion because there was no time and less strength left in them. Naruto, in spite of everything, refused to believe this was the last. Hinata knew that she had to save her strength to make a final request of someone else.

"Sakura-san." Her voice was weak. Naruto gripped Hinata's hand tightly.

The medic leaned in close. "Yes, Hinata."

"Give Naruto-kun my eyes." Sakura shed the tears Naruto was incapable of.

"NO! You will need them! We will survive, together!" Naruto screamed.

"One last time, Naruto-kun. One last time, I love you with all my heart."

* * *

A ROOT agent wearing a frowning porcelain mask with two red markings shaped like wheat stalks knelt in front of Danzō's throne. "Danzō-sama, we have located the surviving 'Konoha-Eleven'."

"This is fortunate. Deploy my remaining agents to remove them. Extinguish Hiruzen's deviant philosophy from this world. The strike force is to spare the Container. The deaths of his comrades will transform him into my instrument."

The agent nodded. "As you command, Danzō-sama." There was a pause. "My lord, there is an… unfortunate complication."

"I am aware, Sai has betrayed us. The Kyūbi has somehow managed to break my conditioning of the tool. Eliminate him with the last of Hiruzen's line."

* * *

Sai did not know what possessed him to abandon his mission and return to Konoha with Yamato-sempai. He knew that his feeling, his long dead emotions were driving him. As he plundered ROOT's secrets for Naruto, he realized he was betraying the life he had known.

Sai also realized he was betraying it for the life he _wanted_. He felt Danzō's Cursed Seal threatening to overwhelm him. The Seal was attempting to paralyze the man with the awakening emotions for his betrayal of ROOT. Unfortunately for Danzō, his Seal had never encountered a human being whose will had been awakened by Uzumaki Naruto. Sai ignored the agony wracking his body and pushed onward. Naruto never gave up and neither would he.

The traitor ROOT burst into the clearing where Naruto and Sakura had gathered with their companions. Sai came to a complete halt when he saw the man that had awoken him from shadow. He barely recognized the strong and indomitable Uzumaki Naruto. In his stead, there was a broken man holding a woman weeping from bandaged covered eyes. In that moment, Sai saw the depths of true emotional pain and wondered if his awakened emotions were worth the risk of experiencing such naked agony.

_I will have time to explore this later._ He struggled against his own mind. "ROOT… is… coming."

The Seal was doing its abominable work. Sai felt his entire body seemingly turning into stone. He trudged forward and laid the files and ledgers at Naruto's feet. "I give you truth."

Sai collapsed and Chōji moved to steady him. Yamato leapt from a nearby tree, and like the others, stared numbly at the scene before him. "Naruto?"

Naruto turned to the source of the voice. His body was still adjusting to Hinata's final gift of love for him. A sudden flare of Chakra that Naruto saw even through the sealed bandages filled the clearing.

"Great Old Geezer?" Naruto whispered. "Nagato-niisan?"

The enormous and ancient toad nodded. "My sympathies, young Naruto. Time is not as it should be."

"If it was…" Naruto looked in the direction of his friends. "If it was, we would have not lost baa-chan, Shizune-neechan, Kakashi-sensei or the others. I would have not lost Hinata!"

Nagato panted. "My brother, the Great Toad Sage has shown me a great many things. He has shown me the cause of this tragedy. We have discovered and wish to give you one last gift, my brother apprentice."

The New Toad Sage lifted his hands to his, no Hianta's, Byakugan. "I cannot bear another gift."

Konan walked over and knelt beside the young man. "Can you bear hope?"

"What?"

The Great Toad Sage nodded. "We have the power of the Mokuton, the Rinnegan and my affinity for time."

Naruto looked to the charka of his brother apprentice, the Great Old Geezer and to Yamato. "What are you trying to say?"

"We can reverse the flow of time. The damage and horrors can be undone." Nagato breathed heavily.

Yamato looked at the group. "Time is something we do not have, tragically. As Sai told us, Danzō is sending his ROOT to destroy us."

"Then only a few of us will go back. I, for one, will stay behind. Naruto, you rescued me from my darkness. I shall finally, and truly, repay that debt. You will have your chance to save us all again and I shall make sure ROOT cannot defile Hinata-sama's body with their inhuman experimentation." Neji's voice trembled with emotion.

Tenten took a defiant step forward. "And I will be with you, Neji."

"No, you must go with them. Help stop this nightmare from occurring."

"Hell no, you stubborn Hyūga! I won't go back in time and have to live in a time where you are still wallowing in darkness. I couldn't bear knowing that you stayed behind. Living through those years knowing what we shared and waiting for you to be freed from 'Fate' would be worse than what awaits us here!" Tenten gripped Neji's shirt tightly.

Sakura stood up. "Naruto, there will be dozens of ROOT. We will ensure the ritual is complete. Go back, stop this." She looked down at the man she now considered her beloved brother. "Love her. Not many people get a second chance."

"You all deserve it as much as I do!" Naruto screamed. Sakura lowered herself to eye level and gently punched Naruto in the shoulder.

"Idiot, we'll all get it. We just won't know it. I'm going to go ahead and apologize for my younger self being a jerk. If you go back that far."

Yamato put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "If we are going to do this, it must be now." Naruto nodded numbly. The Jinchūriki ran his hand through Hinata's hair and kissed her on the forehead one last time. He fumbled for Sai's documents and held them tight.

"I am proud to call you all my friends… no, my family. I will not fail you again!" The blond turned towards Yamato, Nagato and the Great Toad Sage. "Let's do it."

* * *

Naruto sat facing Nagato. The Two Children of Destiny were channeling their Chakra into a seal the Toads had drawn up. The Great Toad Sage was sitting between them with Yamato standing on his massive hands. Tenzō struggled to maintain four massive ornate pillars that rested at the edges of the seal.

The Great Old Geezer chanted in a language that was impossible for humans to reproduce. Naruto struggled under the strain to maintain Sage Mode. In the distance, each of the Shinobi and sages could hear the sounds of a raging battle.

Suddenly, there was a great cry from the Great Toad Sage. Suddenly, there was light.

"We have succeeded."

"Have we, Great Old Geezer?" Naruto could barely speak.

The Prophet of the Toads nodded his bulbous head. "Indeed, Child of Prophecy. There were, however, unforeseen complications."

"You've never had a prophecy be wrong before!" The young sage willed himself to stand.

"This was not prophecy. The complications are not insurmountable and they are temporary."

Naruto raised a hand to his bandages. "What are they?"

"While Yamato and Nagato have merged with their past selves, you have not. Young Naruto, you exist as you are now, while your younger self sleeps soundly in Konoha as an eleven year old child."

"I am not sure I understand. How is this temporary?" Naruto breathed deeply and realized he was on Mount Myōboku.

The Great Old Geezer looked down at his small friend. "Time is attempting to compensate for your Bya…"

"**Hinata's** Byakugan." Naruto interrupted.

"Time is attempting to compensate for the Byakugan you now possess. As your younger self did not have it, there will be a period where you slowly merge."

Naruto shook his head. "How long and what will happen?"

"It will take one year. As the compensation occurs, your memories will merge with your other self. His personality and 'current' memories will become dominant, but he will possess all your knowledge and abilities. As to the Byakugan, it will become dormant in your counterpart's blood. He will likely pass it to his children, but will not have access to it."

Naruto nodded. This could actually be a boon. He could guide his younger incarnation along the correct path and prepare him for the terrible burden of Naruto's knowledge. "Great Old Geezer, I ask that you send me to Konoha. I want to speak with, uh, myself."

"Of course." Naruto felt the pull.

Moments later, he was home. The old smells came rushing back. The dirty clothes were in the same corner. The musky smell of training scrolls wafted in from the closet-turned-training-room. Naruto couldn't help but smile. He truly was in the past. Konan was right.

"There is still hope. There is still hope for us, Hinata." The elder Naruto ran his thumb along the collection of documents Sai had sacrificed so much to bring him. Naruto easily maneuvered through the comfortable and familiar setting and sat at the rickety kitchen table. He reached up and removed the bandages. Neji and Hinata had once told him that an active Byakugan could see in the dark. Sakura had also informed him after the transplant that there may be some residual chakra memories that would allow him to activate Hinata's selfless gift.

"Byakugan." Naruto whispered and willed Hinata's eyes to aid him. The world erupted in a clarity and range he did not think possible.

Unfortunately, the clarity brought pain. He saw petty crime in the streets. Worse, he saw his friends. They did not know, or in many cases, even care for Naruto at this point in time. Naruto knew he would change that. The greatest heartache was that he could see Hinata at the edge of their shared vision. A few feet away, his younger incarnation slept as well and likely dreamed of being Hokage and his infatuation with Sakura-neechan. _How could I be so blind?_

"Focus." He ordered himself and opened Sai's gift. Naruto immediately wished he hadn't. The truth would set him free, but he would wish he had never learned the realities of Konoha. It would have been kinder to guide the Other Naruto towards the dream of Hokage while grooming him to utterly destroy ROOT and assist Nagato in the pursuit of peace.

That luxurious illusion was stripped from Naruto as painfully as the eyes of his birth had been. The files detailed and confirmed Danzō's complicity in Nagato's Second Great Pain. There was evidence of dozens of other crimes. Naruto bit his tongue to prevent crying out and awakening the Other. Several of the crimes committed by ROOT had been known to Old Man Hokage. The simplicity of the agreement was insulting. Hiruzen turned a blind eye to Danzō's actions outside the walls of the Hidden Leaf, so long as ROOT did not act inside the walls. Naruto felt Hinata's tears on his cheeks as he uncovered three great abominations.

ROOT had many dealings with the Hyūga. Danzō conspired with the Hyūga Elders to remove 'threats to the purity of the Clan' in exchange for supporting Danzō when the cripple sought to seize the Tower. ROOT and the Hyūga had conducted a systematic campaign to break Hiashi, and later Hinata. They had sabotaged security the night of the attempt to steal Hinata. Naruto bit his index finger so hard that blood was drawn. They had murdered Hinata's mother in their attempts to seize the Clan.

Naruto felt the Kyūbi stirring behind his reinforced seal, but continued. The next file detailed the tragedy of Itachi and Sasuke. As Naruto read, he felt his respect and love for Old Man Hokage begin to die. Surely, there had to have been another way. It was true that the planned Uchiha coup would have been disastrous for Konoha. But to have Itachi murder the entire clan? Naruto felt his bile rise even further as he read that Danzō only agreed to Itachi's pleading request to spare Sasuke because the leader of ROOT sought to turn Sasuke into a weapon.

The final abomination broke Naruto's heart. He would never be able to look at the Sandaime again. Naruto could not tell his younger self about this file until they merged. Danzō and Hiruzen both had plans for Naruto. They both wished for him to be Konoha's weapon. It was just that they sought different ways to 'condition' the Jinchūriki. The bastard Danzō wished to strip Naruto of all emotion and turn him into an unthinking automaton. The Sandaime, on the other hand, wished to tie Naruto to the village with emotional chains that he held in his grip. Each of the dueling elders had even gone so far as to alter the reports Jiraiya received on Naruto's life.

This was not the Konoha Naruto or his father had given their everything for. They defended the _dream_ of Konoha.

"This village did not deserve you, Father. This village does not deserve you, Hinata."

Naruto rose from the chair and hid the documents behind a loose floorboard. He re-wrapped the bandages after casting a final glance towards his sleeping counterpart. Originally, Naruto planned on guiding his young self towards destroying only Danzō and ROOT. Now, he had a new goal.

The reality of Konoha was rotten and unworthy of the grandeur of the dream. He would see this mockery of his father and his love's sacrifice cast down. Konoha-the-Reality would be destroyed so that Konoha-the-Dream could bloom in its place.


	2. The First Revelation

Naruto groaned as he sat up. He really didn't want to get up because that dream had been awesome! Naruto had just been named the Godaime Hokage after kicking the crap out of Sasuke. Sakura-chan and the other girls had even started following _him_ around. They even hand fed him ramen! It was the best dream ever!

Then it had ended. As great as that dream was, the one that followed was its total opposite. It could only be described as pain.

"_You changed me, Naruto. Your smile is what saved me! That is why I am not afraid to die if it means I can protect you!"_

It was a girl, but Naruto was pinned to the ground and could not see her face. There was a flash and a new scene appeared in his mind's eye. A man whose face was clouded had just stabbed Naruto's mysterious savior.

"_Out of love, sacrifice is born... Hate is born... and we are able to know pain!"_ As Naruto heard those words, he wanted to scream. But there no sound escaped his lips. Instead, he simply awoke.

"What the hell was that dream?" Naruto sighed and for some reason checked to see if his eyes were still there. He shook off his confusion after a moment. It returned quickly, but was focused on the present. There was someone in his kitchen. He could hear the water boiling. Naruto reached under his other pillow and pulled out a kunai. He slipped up to the wall.

"Good morning, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto came around the corner and stared at the intruder. _He looks like me!_

"Who… who are you?"

"Complicated. The water's boiled. I'll explain over ramen." The intruder reached up into the cupboard without looking and grabbed two cups of ramen. He tossed one over to Naruto and walked over with the kettle and another cup of instant ramen.

The entire world froze as Naruto got a good luck at his 'guest'. "You have my birthmarks! Our hair is the same color! I bet our eyes are the same too!"

The kettle hit the table and actually bounced. Naruto felt a wave of pity as the man who looked like him slipped into the chair. "They used to."

"What do you mean, used to?"

"I… I'm not ready to talk about that." The man swallowed. Naruto wasn't the sharpest kunai in the holster, but he could tell the guest was on the verge of tears.

"Alright, I won't ask about that, but seriously, who are you?"

It took a second for the other guy to respond. He simply opened his ramen and poured the hot water over it. He shakily handed the kettle to Naruto. "This will freak you out. I'm you from the future."

"Bullshit."

"What's the date?"

"June 2nd, 519." The present Naruto finally decided to eat his ramen and poured the water.

"Alright, here's some proof. Two days ago, you attempted the Academy Graduation Exam for the second time. We actually did really well on the written exam. Question nine on the economics of the Nidame Hokage through us for a loop. We transformed into Iruka-sensei perfectly but screwed up the Bunshin. Oh, and you asked out Sakura but she hit you and left to chase after Sasuke."

Naruto felt his jaw drop. "You… you are me." His counterpart nodded. "What should I call you? I mean, it'll get confusing calling each other Naruto all the time."

"Call me by our father's last name. Call me Namikaze."

Naruto dropped his ramen. He didn't react to it hitting the edge of the table and falling off to the side. Everyone in Konoha knew the last name Namikaze. "You're lying. You can't be me. This is some prank."

Namikaze rose and walked over to the training closet and came back with a kunai. "I have memorized every inch of this apartment. This is the only home I have ever known." He presented his hand to Naruto and cut it. "I am not a transformation or a Bunshin."

For the first time, Naruto truly looked at Namikaze. His older counterpart looked like hell. The clothes he wore were ragged and filthy. There was dried blood over many areas of his body. Naruto found he couldn't look away from the bandages around his eyes.

"Why are you here? Why come back?" Naruto thought for a moment. "The future can't be so horrible that you'd actually miss living alone and ignored."

"You are right." Namikaze said and Naruto felt a bit relieved. His older self was probably sent back in time by some vengeful enemy to avoid getting his butt kicked by Godaime Hokage Uzumaki. "It's worse."

The Uzumaki's fantasy shattered. "How bad was it?"

"We lost everything." Namikaze Naruto sighed and sat down. "I have so much to tell you, but I want you to ask me the questions. You'll be better prepared for my answers."

Silence descended. It hovered in their air like an oppressive heat. "Why are we ignored? Why does no one care about us?"

"Naruto, what I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room. You will probably hate me, but at least listen to me. Before I tell you I want you to **swear** you will keep this a secret. You cannot tell anyone about this. Not the Hokage, not Iruka-sensei, not anyone!"

There was something about Namikaze Naruto's voice that made him obey immediately.

"Naruto, you know that the Nine Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konoha on the day you were born." The younger blond nodded.

"The Fourth Hokage did indeed fight the Demon Fox. He was the only one who could. But not even Namikaze Minato could beat the Demon Fox. A demon is a being of pure chakra. They cannot be killed. There is only one surefire way to put down a demon. Seal it away. The bastard fox is too strong to be contained in an object. It has to be a person. An adult isn't the best choice because the chakra coils will be damaged by the power of the demon and the person won't live as long. A baby is the 'best' choice because the chakra coils can adapt to the power of the creature."

Namikaze paused. He saw the look of abject terror on Naruto's face. It was the same look he had all those years ago when Mizuki ran his mouth. "Minato was selfless. He couldn't ask a family to make a sacrifice that he was unwilling to do. So, he sealed the Fox within his own son. There was another reason the Yondaime did this. He had faith in his son. He knew that his son could resist the demon. Minato also knew that the Fox had been controlled by an evil man and that his son would need the power to one day defeat this evil."

"This…"

"Is true, Naruto. You are the **jailor** of the Nine Tailed Fox and the son of the Fourth Hokage. His last wish was that you, we, be viewed as a hero for keeping the Fox sealed away."

Naruto jumped up and knocked the now cool kettle from the table. "If he wanted that why does everyone hate me? Why am I ignored? Why doesn't anyone say anything about this?"

"Pain. Pain drives them. They cannot get revenge on you because the Hokage protects you from direct attacks. He also passed a law punishing anyone who reveals that the Fox is sealed within you with execution. They cannot _do_ anything so they choose to do _nothing_. They ignore you."

Naruto looked at his older self. "Then why do the kids hate and ignore me?"

"They follow their parents' example. You will reach the kids your age. Trust me, I did."

Naruto saw his future smile. It comforted him a little bit. "I… I've only got a few more questions. This is a lot to take in."

"I understand. It was tough for me too."

The younger Naruto took off his sleeping cap and looked at it. He wasn't sure why he was so attached to this thing. It looked ridiculous, but it had been a gift. Naruto had found it on his door step on his tenth birthday. There had been a simple note: _Happy Birthday, Naruto-kun._

"Did they love me? My, uh, our parents I mean."

Namikaze smiled. "They did and they are and will be proud of you."

"Thank you." He swallowed. Naruto knew there would be a million other questions later. "Last one about the big stuff for now… Is there anyone who knows about the Fox that still cares about me because I'm _Naruto_?"

_This is where it will begin. I swear to you that you will not have to wait until the stars die this time._ "There are a few. Iruka-sensei and Old Man Teuchi spring to mind. I… I think there is one person in our class at the Academy who deeply cares, but I'm not sure if she knows about the Fox yet."

"What about the Hokage? Who is the girl?"

Namikaze looked away. "I'm not sure about the Hokage at the moment. I… learned a great many things recently. I'm still trying to figure it out. I hate to say that I have doubts. The girl… I don't have any doubts about her."

"Well, who is she?"

Namikaze leaned back in the chair. He had to start preparing his younger self for the trials that would come. There was so much that needed to change and so much he had to prepare for. Konoha would not fall easily. Even as rotten as the village was; it was still strong. The specter of Orochimaru loomed over everything. Then there was Tobi to worry about.

_I have to meet with Nagato-niisan and Konan-neechan. I'll have to leave Konoha to gather support. I can probably convince Ero-sennin and Baa-chan to join me. It's ironic that 'I' am going to be the hardest person to convince._ _Gah, there is so much to do. But first… I have to prepare Naruto._

"Naruto, I want you to figure it out on your own."

"Oh come on! Why can't you just tell me?"

Namikaze laughed at his younger self when he crossed his arms and pouted. _So that's why Iruka-sensei always laughed. _"Because I don't want you to be as dense as I was. One of my teachers told me that a good ninja can look underneath the underneath. I know the mistakes I made and I can help you avoid them."

"Really? You can help make me a kickass ninja?"

"Hey! You're _Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto_! You'll be a kickass ninja even if I didn't help you out!" _But I couldn't save her_.

"Cool, so how will figuring out who this girl is on my own help me?"

"Well, ninjas need to be observant. You need to know what is going around you at all times. This will help you pick up on what everyone around you is about to do or thinking about doing."

Naruto nodded with enthusiasm. "I think I get it!"

"Is there anything else you need to talk about?" Namikaze asked hoping there wasn't. He needed as much time to think as Naruto did.

"No, I'm going to go do some training. That might help clear my head."

"May I make a suggestion? Chakra control. That should help with your Bunshin problem. I'll show you something. Come with me to the stairwell."

Naruto nodded and followed Namikaze into the hall. They were on the third floor. Naruto's apartment complex was older and the stairs weren't in the top shape. Old Man Hokage said it was scheduled for repair at the end of the year. Namikaze stopped and turned around.

"This is called 'Tree Walking' because it's generally done on trees, but you can use it on any surface. Not only is it a good chakra control exercise but you can use it during missions to gain advantages. Watch closely." The older blond simply walked straight ahead. Namikaze strolled up the wall casually and stopped.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

Namikaze smiled. He missed having that amount of enthusiasm. The future Naruto could feel it deep within himself, but the pain of losing Hinata-chan, Kakashi-sensei, baa-chan and the rest of the Eleven was still too fresh. "It is. The trick is to find the right amount of chakra. Too much and you'll fly off the tree. Too little and you'll slide down like overly wet ramen noodles down your throat."

"I'm going to the park to try this! Before I go, any hints on the kid my age who doesn't hate me?"

"She's very quiet. Tell you what, here's some more training. Like I said earlier, if you want to be a successful ninja you'll need to be aware of everything around you. While you're practicing climbing trees, keep an eye out for anything unusual. Oh, before I forget, take a kunai to mark your progress on the tree climbing. Work on getting higher than last time. Don't stop until you reach the top."

Naruto jumped up. "Thanks, uh, me… I guess. I'll be back later!"

After the younger Jinchūriki had rushed off, Namikaze's other temporal ally emerged from the shadows. "It is good to see that you made it back, Naruto-kun. But I am curious, how are there two of you?"

"The Great Old Geezer mentioned that Time couldn't fuse me with my past self because I bear Hinata's gift. Well, not immediately. I will eventually merge with Naruto. It should take a year or more."

Yamato sighed. "We have a great deal of work to do."

Namikaze started removing the bandages. They had served their purpose. "Captain Yamato, I need you to see what Sai brought us."

The two time travelers entered Uzumaki Naruto's small apartment. The Sage opened the loose floorboard and removed Sai's documents. He tossed them across the table to the ANBU Captain.

"You will not like what you read." Naruto was unintentionally curt.

Yamato stared at the documents for a moment. "I am surprised that you are adjusting so well to the transplant."

"I could never reject her." Naruto sat down. "I know our enemies are pathological liars, but the internal reports will have some truth to them."

The ANBU Captain nodded and started reading. As he read deeper into the crimes of ROOT, he was appalled that the Sandaime was implemented in several operations. Yamato rose to his feet and paced around the room when he read about the depths of Danzō's madness. His lust for the Tower and the twisted bargains he struck with many elements of Konoha were nearly inhuman. The massacre of the Uchiha Clan, the assistance to the Hyūga Council and the dueling desires to reduce Naruto to a weapon were like physical blows.

"This is not the Konoha I swore to serve."

Naruto leaned forward. "We must destroy the Reality of Konoha and restore the Dream of Konoha, dattebayo."

"Let's not rush into things, Naruto! I will check the ANBU records. If I find anything that can corroborate the ROOT documents Sai gave us, then we will work out a course of action. We are all upset about the betrayal we suffered; you more than anyone. But we cannot rush into this."

Naruto remained silent as he remembered Nagato's words to Ero-Sennin "_But someday I'll break the curse. If there's such a thing as peace, I will find it! Faith is better than any plan!_"

He would give Yamato some time to find evidence. Namikaze Naruto knew that regardless of what Yamato found; Naruto and his brother apprentice would still change the world.

* * *

Naruto took a deep breath. He needed to clear his head before attempting the exercise Namikaze told him about. Unfortunately, everything else Namikaze had told him about was making it near impossible to concentrate. Could he believe a man who claimed to be his future self? There was no way Naruto could ask anyone about him.

"To hell with all that thinking!" Naruto pushed everything to the back of his mind and focused on gathering chakra in his feet. He was going to reach top of the tree before nightfall!

The blond ran at the tree and he realized that he wasn't sticking very well, but his momentum was carrying him upwards. He got a few feet before falling back to earth.

"Not quite enough…" The blond muttered and pushed more Chakra into his feet. He was climbing the tree a lot easier this time. He made it nearly six feet up when he felt himself begin to push off. Naruto always had trouble suppressing his chakra. Right before he exploded off the tree, he got the brilliant idea to simply divert chakra to other parts of his body. It worked! Tragically, Naruto became so excited by his success that he jumped up in the air and shouted.

He had momentarily forgotten that he was on the tree and fell to the ground. "Crap! I almost got it!"

"Hello Naruto." Naruto shot up at the voice.

"Oh, uh, hey Iruka-sensei."

The Academy instructor smiled and offered Naruto his hand. "It's good to see you hard at work. Though, I'm curious how you learned about such an advanced Chakra control exercise."

"You, uh, know how I have a ton of training scrolls?" Iruka nodded his head. "I, uh, learned it from one of those."

_Can't exactly tell you that a version of me from a nightmare future told me about it._

"Well, I'm glad to see that you _can_ study if you put your mind to it." Iruka smiled Naruto dusted himself off.

Naruto laughed nervously. "Hopefully this'll help me with that stupid Bunshin roadblock."

"I'm sure it well, but the Bunshin is a basic ninja technique that everyone has to learn." Iruka added in his 'teacher voice'.

The blond picked back up the kunai. "I guess, but does anyone actually use the Bunshin technique? I mean, it's just a simple illusion. You even said in class that skilled ninja aren't fooled by the technique. At least the Transformation technique can fool civilians and help with spying on them. I've been reading up on jutsus and the only really useful technique we learn is the Body Replacement."

Iruka wasn't sure whether he should be impressed by Naruto's reasoning or insulted that he basically called part of the Academy's curriculum useless. "Think of it this way, the Bunshin is also a gauge of the level of chakra control you possess."

"Oh, I guess when you put it that way, it kinda makes sense." The instructor was pleased to see his student somewhat mollified by his explanation.

"Well, I have to get to the Hokage's Tower and work on Team Selections. I'm proud of how hard you're working Naruto and I'm sure that I'll be suggesting you for after the next term!"

"Thanks Iruka-sensei!" Naruto grinned broadly as his favorite teacher headed to the tower. Naruto's future self had said that Iruka was one of the people who had always accepted him. He could believe that. If Namikaze was telling the truth about that, maybe everything he talked about was true.

Naruto didn't know if he was suppose to be comforted by that realization or terrified by it.

* * *

It was a strange feeling. That was the only way Namikaze could describe the course of action he had decided on. His entire life had been dedicated to defending Konoha and becoming Hokage. Now, his ultimate goal was to see his home village torn down. The future Naruto realized on some level that he was still defending Konoha. Currently, Konoha was a cruel mockery of the visions of the First and Fourth Hokages.

"I never thought I'd turn my back on you, Hokage-ji." The elder Naruto flopped at the edge of the bed. He couldn't bring himself to blame Sarutobi for letting Orochimaru escape. Namikaze knew that if he laid the blame for that at the Third's feet that he would be a hypocrite of the highest order. He would have done the same thing if confronted with Sasuke. Was it such sentimentality a weakness? Possibly.

No, the real reason for Namikaze's crisis of faith centered around two other of the Third Hokage's failings. The first was turning a blind eye to Danzō's actions outside of Konoha. ROOT's crushing of the Pranjā Group extended the Civil War in the Land of Woods for another two and a half years. In those two and a half years, nearly a thousand people died. The chaos in the Land of Woods was one of the chief reasons for the Alliance between Suna and Konoha. Then there was the 'Hyūga Incident'. Naruto had been taught by Kakashi that those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are lower than trash. Konoha, and the Third Hokage, were willing to hand over Hiashi to Kumo. Yes, the solution involving the sacrifice of Neji's father prevented a conflict, but there were other ways to handle the situation! The blame for the incident rested solely with Kumo. Naruto did not hold a militant view at all, but Konoha should have stood firm against an action that was essentially blackmail. Konoha was allied with Kusa and Suna at the time. If the Alliance had presented a unified front, Kumo would have backed down.

Instead, a good man was sacrificed and a vicious cycle of hatred was born.

Naruto sighed and looked out the window.

"You are troubled, my brother apprentice." The sudden appearance of Nagato's Deva Path startled Namikaze. The blond fell off the bed with a surprised yelp. He looked up and saw a shimmering outline of Yahiko. The only definitive feature was Nagato's Rinnegan.

Naruto got to his feet. "That's a bit of an understatement! Are you back in Amegakure?"

"I have returned home. We do not have much time to talk. My Animal Path will be summoning a messenger bird to deliver the truth about the man you know as Tobi to you. Why have you not merged as Captain Yamato and I have with our past selves?"

The blond activated the transplanted Byakugan. "Hinata's Byakugan. It created an imbalance and Time is compensating for it. I will merge with my younger self in one year's time. I believe that this can be a huge help for us. We can use the time to prepare for what needs to be done. Konoha is rotten to the core. It has forgotten the truth of the Will of Fire. It no longer protects the world out of love. It seeks to perpetuate itself by any means. In order for Konoha to be reborn into what it should be, it has to be destroyed as it is."

"Konoha is not alone in its crimes. All the villages are equally as guilty." Nagato's Deva Path countered.

Naruto shook his head. "The smaller villages like Takigakure, Amegakure and Hoshigakure are isolationist. I'm sure we can sway them to our cause. It's just the Kage villages that are the threat. Nagato-nii-san, what are your plans for Akatsuki?"

"I do not wish to pursue the Bijū as we did in our previous life, but as long as Uchiha Madara we cannot safely change paths."

"Madara?" Naruto knew the name was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"You know him as Tobi. All will be explained when you receive the summon."

Namikaze sat back on the bed. "If he worries you, even a little bit, I think my plan to go recruit baa-chan and Ero-sennin just got a bit more urgent."

The two brother apprentices were quiet as they weighed each other's words. "They would be powerful allies."

"Yeah, you know how strong Ero-sennin is. Well, baa-chan is just as strong." Naruto deactivated Hinata's gift. "Nagato-nii-san, I'm going to stay in Konoha for a little while longer. Yamato is searching for evidence to confirm the documents Sai gave us. When he gets those, I will convince both Captain Yamato and my younger self to embrace our ideals. After that, I'll get baa-chan and Ero-Sennin and we'll deal with this Madara character."

Deva Path bowed his head. "You must hurry; we only have a year."

"I know. Peace is within our grasp."

* * *

Normally, Yamato hated the paperwork that his position as ANBU Captain forced on him. At the moment, he was glad for the access to ANBU records. Yamato was reviewing a report by Towa. He had been on an assassination mission along the border with the Land of Woods. Towa had succeeded in his mission and eliminated the Nuke-nin that had been raiding the Land of Fire. Yamato decided to personally file the report. The opportunity to confirm or, hopefully, deny some of Naruto's suspicions was too great. The time traveler flipped through the documents and found a report from a large mission several years ago to the Land of Woods. Yamato felt a pain in his chest as the dates matched those of the elimination of the Pranjā group. He had always felt that operation had far too many ANBU on it for a simple reconnaissance in force.

"Naruto, why did you have to be right about this?"

* * *

Namikaze was meditating when Naruto arrived. The younger Jinchūriki was shocked. Meditating was an activity he never thought he'd ever do. Naruto wasn't a sensor nin, but even he could practically feel the power radiating off his future self.

"Why am I? Argh, why is he mediating? Stupid time travel, stop confusing me!" Naruto clutched his head and groaned.

"He is centering himself and gathering Nature Chakra."

Naruto leapt into the air and yelled in surprise as a voice appeared behind him. "How did you do that?"

Yamato smiled behind his mask. "ANBU."

Namikaze opened his eyes. "How did my, our, your? Forget it. How did the training go?"

Naruto looked straight at his future self's eyes. They were surrounded by a brownish pattern. The pupils were a horizontal rectangle instead of a circle. Instead of his natural blue, they were golden. "It went really well."

"Good." Namikaze smiled. "What did you find Captain Yamato?"

The ANBU sighed. "There was a large ANBU reconnaissance in force to the Land of Woods at the time of the ROOT operation against the Pranjā group."

"What the heck are you guys talking about?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Remember how I said you could tell absolutely no one about the Kyūbi and who your parents are?" Namikaze asks.

"Yeah, but what about this ANBU guy? Can we trust him?" Naruto never took his eyes off Yamato.

Namikaze smiles softly. "Captain Yamato was one of my friends who came back in time with me. I have faith in him."

The explanation eased, but did not erase, Naruto's concerns. "Fine, but what are you talking about? What's ROOT?"

"ROOT is a splinter division of ANBU. Instead of answering to the Hokage, they answer to Danzō." Yamato said with a bit of venom.

"Danzō is the one behind the betrayal that forced us back in time. He is our enemy. He is _your_ enemy." Namikaze matched and surpassed Captain Yamato's anger.

"Naruto, I have to leave. I just wanted to let you know that we have evidence supporting the elimination of the Pranjā group. I'm sorry."

Namikaze sighed. "There was a part of me that wished you would prove me wrong, Captain Yamato. But, thanks for finding the information."

The ANBU disappeared. Naruto turned to his elder self. "These guys are bad news then? I mean, if they are made up of ANBU level ninja…"

"It's a lot worse than that. Danzō has stripped them of all emotion. ROOT agents are little more than slaves. And that is how that bastard Danzō treats them. He treats them as little more than tools after burying their humanity."

"That's horrible!" Naruto yelled.

"It really is. He wants to do that to us."

Naruto sat down on the edge of his bed. "Because of the Kyūbi."

"Yes." Namikaze breathed deeply. "Our enemy views us as little more than a kunai. To Danzō, we would be nothing more than another tool on his path to being Hokage."

"Too bad for him, I'm going to be Hokage!" Naruto declared.

_And here is where I begin to kill my own dream._ "Naruto, that will be difficult."

"Of course it will. Is anything worth doing easy?"

Namikaze smiled, truly smiled, at his younger self. "No, nothing ever is. But there are many people who would oppose you becoming Hokage."

"Why? I'd be a kickass Hokage!"

"I know. The problem is we care for the people of Konoha even after how most have treated us. The clans, Danzō and other groups want to keep Konoha as it is now. We'd change things and cause a lot of corrupt people to lose power and wealth."

"But that's a good thing! We'd make things _better, dattebayo!_" Naruto pounded his fist into his palm.

"Heck yeah we would! The catch is that the corrupt people in Konoha don't want things to get better." Namikaze spoke with the same intensity as his younger self. He walked over to the loose floorboard and pulled out Sai's Documents. Namikaze flipped through the documents and pulled out the papers detailing ROOT paying off the orphanages to keep their recruiting secret.

_I'm going to have to find a new place for these. The last thing I need is for me, uh, him reading too much and rushing off to try and smash ROOT. The Gods know I want to, but we aren't strong enough yet. _

"This is an example of what we'd have to deal with." Namikaze handed the papers to Naruto.

A wave of disgust rolled over the young child's face. The report detailed the orphans that were 'purchased' and divided into two groups, experiments and recruits. ROOT was treating the orphans, kids similar to Naruto, like items you'd pick up at the store! Naruto couldn't believe that the report casually said that only forty percent of the 'acquisitions' would survive.

"They're kids… They're kids not groceries!"

"That is how Danzō and ROOT think. And as long as people continue to get rich or get political support from Danzō and his allies, they will refuse to change." Namikaze growled.

"What do we have to do?"

Namikaze thought for a moment. _How do I explain this?_

"You know what you do with a plant in winter?" The older man asked.

Naruto thought for a minute. "Yeah, you cut back the dead branches so that when new branches grow in spring they grow in healthy."

"Well, that's Konoha. Right now, it's winter. The branches, ROOT, the Guilds, some of the Clans and other groups, are dead and rotten. We're going to cut back the dead branches so a new Konoha can grow."

The young blond flopped back on the bed. "If we do that we'd have to fight a whole lot of people. I know the two of us can kick a whole lot of ass, but I don't think we can take on half of Konoha yet."

"You're right." Namikaze saw his counterpart's face fall. "I'll train you a bit before I leave Konoha."

"Wait! You'll train me? Why would you leave?" The eleven year old shot up.

Namikaze sighed. "I'm going to teach you a little bit. And I'm going to leave Konoha to talk to some people who will help us."

"Awesome! I bet you're going to teach me some kickass jutsus that'll knock Sasuke down a few pegs!"

"They would, if we didn't need to keep them secret." Namikaze interrupted the oncoming rant. He enjoyed them, but they had to stay focused.

Naruto stared at Namikaze in open-mouth disbelief. "Not cool! You're me so you know how much I, we, argh, I love to show off awesome Jutsus!"

"I know! It's just we have to keep it secret for now. If you start showing off, our enemies will know something is up and we won't be able to hit them as hard later."

"So, you're saying, it's like the sneaking around before a prank?" Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"You've got it." Namikaze suddenly became serious. "Naruto, I need to know if you are willing to fight against Konoha to save it."

Naruto looked at the ground. "Well, I'm not sure if I like the idea of fighting against the village. I mean, my dream is to be Hokage. But, I guess I didn't realize things were so bad. I mean, everyone looks up to Old Man Hokage. It's hard to imagine they'd do such horrible things."

"If they are willing to ignore Dad's last wish and basically thumb their noses at the Old Man's law about the Fox, does it really surprise you they'd do everything I've told you about?"

Naruto could hear the pain in Namikaze's voice and matched it with his own. "Is there anyone worth saving?"

"There are a few and they will become your, our, most precious people."

The child sighed. "Then I guess I'll have to start cutting away Konoha's dead branches to protect my precious people."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** And that's a wrap on Chapter 2. I'd also like to thank everyone for the response to this story! Most importantly, this was my first story to be put in a NaruHina C2! Hell yes! Please read and review! I know this wasn't an action packed chapter, but it was necessary. Things will pick up next chapter with Namikaze training Naruto. Also, Present Hinata will make her first appearance too.

Speaking of Hinata! She finished 10th in the 7th popularity poll! Hinata was very close to tying with Shikamaru for 9th and beat out Sakura for the most popular female character in the series! Hell yeah!

More good news: Prince Naruto? and The Hyūga's Hound are coming along nicely. If I keep going like I've been, I hope to have one of them updated soon.


	3. Memories of the Never to Be

Naruto found his way to the swing outside of the Academy. It was strange how he always seemed to find this place when he was desperate to escape the stress of his isolation or some other turmoil. Naruto had thought failing the Genin exam for the second time was the worst experience of his life. He knew now that the Genin exam was nothing compared to Namikaze's memories or his counterpart's latest revelation.

Namikaze had been teaching Naruto the Shadow Clone technique earlier this morning. Naruto was at first shocked that Namikaze would teach him a skill that, Naruto thought, they were both terrible at. The younger Uzumaki Naruto's shock quadrupled when Namikaze revealed Shadow Clones were his trademark technique. It had taken Naruto four hours to learn the basics of the technique. Naruto felt his excitement building with each step forward. Naruto wanted to see how many clones he could fit into the abandoned basement of his apartment complex. He filled the basement with nearly one hundred and fifty clones. Naruto had burned a decent amount of chakra fueling the jutsu, but he had instantly received an influx of chakra.

From Namikaze.

The infusion had not been voluntary or simply chakra. Memories, horrible memories, flooded Naruto's mind.

"_When a person has something important to protect, that is when they can truly become strong."_

"_He was a boy as pure as snow."_

Naruto had screamed for Namikaze to explain. There was a part of Naruto that dreaded whatever answer Namikaze would give him. That part of his mind was validated. Namikaze revealed to Naruto that the memories were of Namikaze's first C-Rank mission that rapidly escalated into an A-Rank against Momochi Zabuza, Yuki Haku and the Demon Brothers. Namikaze spoke of how he considered Haku and Zabuza his friends even though they had been enemies. He spoke of how their sacrifice shaped his personal beliefs. Shinobi were not emotionless tools. Shinobi are human beings with a great power and responsibility.

"Are they going to die this time?" Naruto had asked in a small voice.

Namikaze had responded with a firm, passionate no. Naruto's future counterpart's conviction eased the pain of the memories of the never were. The second revelation shook him even deeper. Namikaze revealed the reason for the memory transfer. In a year's time, Naruto and Namikaze would cease to be separate beings. They would merge into one person. Namikaze had been clear that Naruto would be the one to 'remain'.

But was that true?

The shock of the memory transfer and the eventual merger was too much. Naruto simply left the apartment. Would Naruto still be 'Naruto' or would he be Namikaze or perhaps something else entirely?

Naruto took a deep breath and looked out towards Konoha. "I'm not going to accomplish anything sitting on the swing."

The boy got up and walked into town. Naruto was paying a lot more attention than usual to his surroundings. Off to his left, the Usurer's Guild was repossessing a man's home. At his right, a couple of thugs were gambling in an alley. Naruto hated what he saw. He also hated that Namikaze was right. There was so much good in Konoha, but there was an equal amount of misery.

Naruto returned to his apartment and found Namikaze sitting on the couch. Namikaze looked up with the eyes that were not his. "I wish there was another way."

"So do I." Naruto sat next to the vision of his broken future. "You said I should hide my abilities."

"I did. When we make our move, it will need to be fast and unseen. The powerful wish to keep Konoha as it is."

"I understand. When will you be leaving?" Naruto asked.

"Soon. No more than two days." Namikaze confessed.

Naruto nodded. _I'm not sure I should be disappointed or thrilled that he's leaving so soon. _"What are you going to be doing?"

"Getting help for our goals." Namikaze said simply.

Naruto stood up and stretched. "Haku and Zabuza?"

"They'll definitely be helping us.

"I want to meet them. I like Haku's idea about becoming strong when you protect people. There's nothing like that in the ninja rules." Naruto smiled.

"That's because the ninja rules are designed to put the mission above people." Namikaze sank into the couch.

Naruto felt his smile vanish. "Well, that's _bullshit_."

Namikaze laughed. It was interesting seeing what he was like from the outside. _I have to say, I really like myself_. "Damn right it is!"

"I'm going to go to Ichiraku's and then work on my Chakra Control Exercises. Want to come?" Naruto asked.

"I love that place, but no thanks. I need to keep a low profile." The pain in Namikaze's voice was evident. He was denying himself ramen.

"Well, I'll see you later!" Naruto grabbed a kunai and rushed through the door.

Namikaze sighed and reached behind the couch cushion. He pulled out Nagato-nii-san's scroll and began reading again. It was hard to believe that 'Tobi' was actually Madara Uchiha. Naruto had found it hard to believe for a moment. Then a few pieces fell into place. First, his interest in Sasuke and Itachi had a different edge to it than any Naruto had ever seen. Namikaze Naruto remembered the tone of voice he had taken after Zetsu had reported that Itachi and Sasuke had been found. Second, Kakashi-sensei had sworn he saw that Tobi had a Sharingan Eye. Namikaze considered Kakashi-sensei one of the few people Naruto could trust. Tobi had also been able to predict all their attacks. Namikaze had fought and trained against the Sharingan enough to recognize its abilities.

Finally, Namikaze had traveled through time. If that was possible, were immortality or an extended youth and vitality that hard to believe? Tsunade and Ero-sennin were old and still incredibly powerful. It wasn't too much of a stretch that Madara could remain strong even when pushing a century.

Namikaze knew that regardless of the true nature of Madara that the ancient Uchiha had to be stopped.

* * *

The short break between the Academy Terms had finally ended. Naruto had spent the days training with Namikaze in the use of Shadow Clones and on chakra control. It still annoyed Naruto that he couldn't show off his new abilities, but the thought of having ANBU asking numerous uncomfortable questions wasn't appealing at all.

"Think of this as the greatest prank in history." Namikaze had said. Naruto had to admit that part of him liked the idea.

Naruto shook off the memory and entered the classroom. He was a few minutes early. Truthfully, he was seeking the normalcy of the Academy after the upheaval Namikaze's arrival had caused.

_This is also a chance to find the mystery girl._ Naruto thought with a touch of sadness. He suspected that it wasn't Sakura-chan. If it was, Namikaze would have said something. Sakura-chan was obvious, so Naruto wouldn't have to 'look underneath the underneath'. Naruto sighed because he didn't have a clue about many of the girls in his class. Almost all of them chased after Sasuke. The blond felt a flash of anger. Why did they chase after Sasuke? He would never acknowledge any of them! Sasuke never complimented any of the girls when they wore something pretty or thanked them for trying to do something nice. Naruto complimented them and tried to be nice all the time! What did Sasuke do to deserve confirmation of his existence like that?

_Getting angry won't help._ Naruto closed his eyes and emulated Namikaze's meditation exercises. It shocked Naruto how well a simple breathing exercised helped.

He looked around the room. Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei were talking in front of the room. Shikamaru and Chōji were in their usual spots in the middle row. Shino was looking out the window. The only other people in the room were a couple of civilian-born students whose names Naruto couldn't remember. Naruto leaned back against the wall. A moment later, Sasuke entered and passed Naruto without a glance. Ino and Sakura burst through arguing about who was first.

"What are you doing here Naruto? Didn't you fail?" Sakura practically grunted.

"Do you really think I'll ever give up?" Naruto was hurt by the tone. Sakura and Ino just walked on to fight over who would sit next to Sasuke. A second knot of kunoichi students entered the room and migrated to the side Sasuke was sitting on. The final girl to enter was the very quiet Hinata.

_She's the only girl that doesn't go googley-eyed whenever Sasuke does something. Might as well._ Naruto thought.

"Mind if I sit here?" Naruto asked.

Hinata's eyes went wide and she nodded. "I… I don't mind!"

"Thanks." Naruto sat down and scanned the room. Namikaze had drilled the need to be more observant into Naruto.

Namikaze had also confused the hell out of Naruto. The future Uzumaki had spoken at length about how a betrayal had forced Namikaze to return to the past. In the next breath, he had spoken about the importance of trusting one's friends. Naruto wasn't the smartest shinobi in Konoha, but he knew that betrayal implied that a bond of trust had been broken. Everything Namikaze had spoken of either confused Naruto or shattered his worldview.

Only Namikaze's steadfast declaration that the mystery girl, Iruka-sensei and a handful of others Naruto had yet to meet accepted and loved him unconditionally kept him moving forward. At night, Naruto had recalled more of his conversation with Haku. _Not being needed by anyone, the pain of simply living._

"Is… is something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's sudden words shook Naruto out of his reverie.

"I'm ok. I've just had… trouble sleeping. It's been a rough couple of days, but I'll bounce back and be better than ever!" Naruto poured every ounce of bravado he could into his words.

_Now if someone acknowledged you from the bottom of their heart, wouldn't that someone become the most important person to you?_

"Oh… ok, Naruto-kun. If… you need someone… someone to talk about it with…" Hinata was blushing furiously and it took every bit of her will to keep talking.

"Thank you, Hinata!" Naruto beamed while internally cursing. _Damn you Namikaze._

* * *

Hinata was working on her Jūken forms in Training Ground Seven after class. Normally, Hinata trained after class so she would have a legitimate and acceptable reason for coming home so late. Today, Hinata was training to work out the nervous energy she had built up.

"Naruto-kun." She still had trouble believing he had spoken to her today. Hinata was ecstatic that the person she admired most in the world had acknowledged her. It even looked like Naruto was moving on from Sakura. _Maybe, just maybe_. Hinata thought hopefully. The hope was quickly squashed beneath a pang of guilt.

_I shouldn't base my happiness on this… Naruto-kun seemed so hurt today._

The momentary doubt caused her form to slip. Hinata sighed as she righted her stance.

"You shouldn't hesitate. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Hyūga Hinata."

Hinata yelped at the sudden arrival. She activated her Byakugan as she turned to face the source of the voice. A young man wearing nondescript clothing stood several feet away. His stance was casual and Hinata's Byakugan did not detect any weapons.

"W… who are you?" _Why do you have the same seal as Naruto-kun?_

"Namikaze." Hinata was caught off guard by the softness in the man's tone. She wasn't sure if she should feel pity for or nervous around Namikaze. There was a hint of longing in his tone that was a bit unnerving.

"What, what do you w… want?" The Hyūga heiress fought to keep the unease she felt from coloring her voice.

"To tell you the basis behind Genin team selections." Namikaze answered with a casual shrug. Hinata squeaked out a 'what' and Namikaze continued. "The Rookie of the Year, the top ranked Kunoichi and the dead last are all placed on the same team."

"Why tell me this?" Hinata felt the unease being pushed aside by hope.

"I want to ensure Naruto has at least one teammate who cares about him. I'm also sure Hiashi-sama would view you finishing as the number one kunoichi favorably."

"Would I really be on a team with Naruto-kun?" The Hyūga pressed.

"The teams have always been arranged that way. The Nidaime Hokage ordered the arrangement and the Sandaime and the Yondaime continued the tradition." Namikaze smiled inside his hood.

"Y… you are doing this for Naruto-kun. W… what is he to you?" Hinata asked after a moment of contemplation.

"He is my past and my future." Namikaze said before turning and walking away.

Hinata focused her Dojutsu on the mysterious man's retreating form. "Thank you."

* * *

Namikaze came to a halt and whispered Byakugan. "No one else is around, Captain Yamato."

The ANBU captain emerged from his concealment. "I hope that approaching Hinata-san means you have reconsidered your plan."

"I am doing what needs to be done. The roots of Konoha are rotten. Most of the Clans, Danzō, the Guilds… they have abandoned the Will of Fire. I cannot allow such an infection to persist."

Yamato knew how much Naruto was hurting. "Naruto, I can't imagine what you are going through. But you are moving too fast. Your emotional wounds haven't healed yet."

"I don't think they'll ever heal, Captain Yamato! We only had six hours. I lost the one _person_, not just the one woman; the one person who ever told me that they loved me less than six hours after she told me. And we weren't even together for most of that time!"

The ANBU sighed. "Naruto, all I'm asking is that you take some time and objectively think about what you are talking about."

"I'll take some time. I'm leaving Konoha soon. Could you keep an eye on Naruto for me?" Namikaze spoke with a weariness Yamato never thought he would hear.

"That's all I ask and I promise." Yamato disappeared with a body flicker and Namikaze made his way back to the apartment.

Namikaze found Naruto working on his homework. The time traveler grunted in amusement. _Since when do I actually complete my homework?_

"Is that homework?" Namikaze didn't even bother hiding the humor in his voice.

Naruto kept working. "It's a partner assignment. If I hadn't been teamed up with Hinata, I'd probably just skip this and go train."

"It's good you're thinking of your friends." Namikaze smiled and sat on the bed.

"I don't know if Hinata is a friend yet. I haven't really talked to her all that much. She was nice, but kinda weird. I mean she would just randomly look away and get red. But hey, she doesn't chase after Sasuke so she's got to be smart."

"Well, I think you should give her a chance." Namikaze said softly. "I came to say goodbye."

"So, you're really leaving." Naruto put down his pencil and finally looked up.

"I am. This will be the last time we will see each other as separate beings." Namikaze confessed.

"This still freaks me out." The child gulped. "I mean, who will we be? Me or you?"

Namikaze could understand his fears. "You will be you. I'll fade away. Everything I ever experienced will become new memories." He paused. "Think of it like remembering a dream."

"How can you be so calm? Namikaze, you're going to _cease to exist_!" Naruto shouted.

"Naruto, I lost everything. All my friends…" Namikaze's voice broke. "The woman who loved me… They were all killed. If I can help you prevent that…"

"It wasn't Sakura-chan was it?" Naruto knew what the answer would be. It was another hope Namikaze would dash.

"Not in the way you are thinking of. Sakura was the sister we never had." Namikaze tried his best to soften the blow.

"Oh." Naruto looked up. "But I had friends?"

"You will have many friends. If things work out, we won't lose any of them this time." Namikaze spoke with earnest confidence. Confidence Naruto did not share.

"That's good." Naruto said before sighing and turning back to his homework.

"I just hope you don't cause Iruka-sensei to have a heart attack when you turn in that assignment." Namikaze smiled.

"Do I really have to keep everything a secret? I mean my awesome skills." Naruto suddenly asked.

"Yes, it'll keep us safe from our enemies. And Academy grades don't matter in the long term. Want to hear who else was 'Dead Last' in their class?"

Naruto kept writing. "Sure."

"Jiraiya of the Sanin."

"No way! There was no way a Sanin could be 'Dead Last'." Naruto blurted out in astonishment.

"He was and look at what he accomplished. He trained the Fourth Hokage, was one of the Legendary Three Ninja and is widely respected as one of the most powerful ninja in the entire world." Namikaze bit his lip when he caught his mistake. _Jiraiya is still alive. I can't believe I let that slip! Damn, I miss you Ero-Sennin. _

"Cool! If he can become that awesome and be Dead Last, then I can do even more awesome things!" Naruto jumped up and pumped his fist. Namikaze fought the urge to release the breath he had been holding.

"Never stop believing in yourself."Namikaze said warmly as he rose from the bed. "Good luck, Naruto."

"You too."

Naruto sighed in relief after Namikaze left. The young Uzumaki constantly worried about absorbing more of Namikaze's memories before he was ready. Naruto needed to have some time and distance from his counterpart. Namikaze had forced Naruto to confront the ugly reality that hid behind the good of Konoha.

_Or is the ugliness hiding the good?_ Naruto thought as he finished the last bit of the homework. He shook off the overwhelming confusion and doubt.

"I need to see the truth for myself." The blond said with determination. He put his homework assignment into his backpack. Naruto walked over to where he saw Namikaze stash the folder from 'Sai'.

There was a note that read: _I took the files with me. I'll need them to convince several of our allies._

Naruto grumbled at his future self a bit. "I guess I'll just have to check the orphanage."

The boy was not looking forward to heading back to that place. Naruto had always understood that the 'caretakers' never felt comfortable around him. Now, he finally knew why. _The Fox_. It also explained why the neglect he experienced at the orphanage transcended the purely emotional and social into physical neglect. It was so soon after the Nine Tail's attack. The pain everyone experienced was still raw and fresh.

_Unless I find a way to time travel like Namikaze, I can't change that_. Naruto sighed. _Better get moving._

Naruto left through his window and leapt from building to building. He decided to approach the orphanage without leaping to minimize the attention he would draw to himself. Naruto remembered from the ROOT report that an 'acquisition' would be made tonight.

_If Namikaze knew I remembered the date on the report he would have freaked._ Naruto remained silent. He knew the only reason he remembered the date was because the horror of the report had seared the details into his mind. Naruto crept to the edge of the building and peered over the edge.

A pair of masked ninja was talking with the orphanage headmaster. Naruto trembled with fear and anger at the huddling mass of children. How could the ninja be so calm knowing most of the orphans wouldn't survive? _Stay calm…_

"Here is the money. I trust there will be no leaks about our agreement." One of the agents spoke in a dulled tone.

The headmaster accepted the money and grunted. "No need to threaten me." The hateful old man turned and reentered the orphanage.

_Maeda-san wouldn't have let that happen_. Naruto frowned as he remembered the one caretaker that was kind of nice to him.

"The roof." Naruto froze in place. The voice was so calm and the serenity in the tone scared Naruto more than any amount of raving could have.

"The container." Naruto turned and faced the newly arrived masked ninja. "How fortuitous. You will, of course, be coming with us."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **It's a bit shorter than originally planned, but the Cliffhanger was just too good to pass up.

And I would like to sincerely thank everyone for the response to this story! I've never had a story wrack up so many hits, alerts, C2s and favorites this quickly. Not even Chains of the Kindred (which isn't dead) and The Hyūga's Hound had such response when I first posted them! Again, thank you!

Please review! You guys rock all kind of hardcore.


	4. Iconoclasm

Naruto gulped and took a tentative step back. The stories Namikaze had poured into Naruto's ears about ROOT roared to the forefront of the young boy's mind. Horrible premonitions of being emotionally torn down and stripped of everything that made him _Naruto _danced in his mind's eye.

_I refuse to be a tool! I won't be anything other than Uzumaki Naruto!_

"Do not resist, Container. There is nothing to fear. If you come with us, we shall teach you to control the power within you. Help us make Konoha invincible." The Agent pleaded with Naruto, but the effect was severely lessened by the utterly dry tone.

"I'm not a tool." Naruto tried to sound defiant, but his declaration came out more as a whimper.

Naruto swore could see the ninja frown behind his mask. "But you are a shinobi of the Leaf. We are all tools of the village. How we serve does not matter, as long as we serve."

"What about our emotions? What about being proud of Konoha? What about being happy?"

The ninja took a single step forward. "Emotions are superfluous. Happiness and pride are for civilians. All that matters is ensuring the dominance of Konoha."

"We aren't kunai! We're people as well as ninja." Naruto shouted. "There's no way I'm coming with you."

The ROOT ANBU stood impassively. Naruto tensed when the unnamed ninja's shoulders slumped. The blond knew the ANBU wasn't going to be letting Naruto go. _Come on! Someone has to hear me yelling and making a scene!_

"Container, my allies and I are not giving you a choice. You _will_ serve Konoha." The ANBU's voice remained impassive as he spoke.

Naruto felt a trickle of sweat roll down his cheek. _Where did the second ANBU go? Did he take the kids and leave his buddy to deal with me? Or…_

"I'm going to protect Konoha, but I'm going to do it as Uzumaki Naruto not some tool!" Naruto heard his yell echo in the alley below him.

"It seems my attempts to convince you to willingly join the Foundation have failed. I do not relish this, but I must resort to force." The ANBU shook his head as he spoke.

_Damn it_. _I thought all my yelling would at least get some civilians to check to see what the racket was._

"Mokuton: Jukai Heki." A voice called out mere seconds before several twisted wooden pillars exploded from the roof. The pillars formed a solid wall that separated Naruto from the ANBU.

The ROOT disappeared with a Body Flicker before Yamato even landed on the roof. "Damn it!"

Yamato ended his jutsu with a sigh. Naruto was now in a fighting stance after getting a moment to compose himself.

"It's ok, Naruto-san. The ROOT agent is gone." Yamato spoke calmly and held his hands open at his sides.

"You're the ANBU who is buddies with Namikaze. Captain Yamato right?" Naruto asked warily.

"That is how your… old friend knows me. We need to go to the Hokage." The man currently known as Tenzō removed his mask.

Naruto gasped. "What the hell are you doing? You're ANBU! You just can't take off your mask!"

"I want you to trust me, Naruto. I might just be the only person you can trust in all of Konoha right now." Yamato knelt to Naruto's eye level.

"You aren't the only one I can trust. I know I can trust Iruka-sensei and I know there is one person in my class I can trust." Naruto was almost desperate to remind the world that he wasn't alone. Yamato nodded and didn't say another word. His young friend took a deep breath. "Let's go see the Hokage. I can't get Hinata in trouble for missing class and causing her to lose credit for that take home assignment."

_Maybe there is some hope._ Yamato didn't voice his concerns, but guided Naruto the Hokage's tower. Even though it was late, Yamato and Naruto knew the Hokage would be dutifully working on the business of Konoha. As an up and coming member of ANBU, Tenzō had easy access to the Hokage.

The wizened Hokage was exactly where the elite shinobi and the academy student were motioned into the office. Sarutobi Hiruzen was sitting behind his desk finishing off the last of the day's paperwork.

"Tenzō and Naruto, what brings you to my office so late?" The Third Hokage asked with a smile.

"There was an attempt by a rogue ANBU to capture Naruto. I was on patrol and intervened." Yamato reported evenly. The Hokage nodded and turned his attention to Naruto.

"Naruto, what were you doing out so late?" The Hokage asked. Naruto bristled at the question.

"I needed to get out of the house. I'd been sitting for a really long time doing my homework and was going crazy." Naruto answered. The boy almost glared at the Hokage. _I can't believe he's more shocked that I was doing my homework than me nearly being kidnapped by a renegade ANBU!_

"This rogue ANBU, did he say anything to you?" Sarutobi continued to question Naruto.

"He called me the 'Container'." Naruto paused and took a breath. He knew instinctively not to reveal that he was aware of the Kyuubi. The Hokage would hunt down and stop Namikaze. That would doom any attempts to prevent the horrible betrayal Naruto's future incarnation had sacrificed so much to try to prevent. "What does that mean, Old Man?"

The Hokage lit his pipe and closed his eyes. Naruto watched the Third Hokage under a new and harsh light. _I am not going to disappear, Hokage-sama._

"I never wanted you to find out this way, Naruto. I am going to reveal a difficult truth. Please, allow me to tell you everything before you speak."

Naruto nodded and listened as Hiruzen explained the truth about the Kyūbi and how the Fourth Hokage had sealed the Demon into Naruto to protect the village. The Hokage continued to talk about how Naruto was _the village's_ protector. The Hokage had a sad smile on his lips when he spoke of how Naruto did not deserve to be hated for the sacrifice he made _for the village_.

"Why me?" Naruto asked. He doubted the Third would tell him the truth. There was no way Sarutobi would reveal that Minato had faith _in Naruto as his son. _

"The Yondaime never revealed why he chose you. I believe he saw the amazing potential you possessed.

_Why can't you tell me that _my father _saw the amazing potential I possessed? Why can't you tell me that he sacrificed everything to protect me because _my father_ loved me?_

The Hokage noticed the slump in Naruto's shoulders and misread the reason behind the reaction. "I am sure this is a lot to take in. We can continue this discussion tomorrow."

"Hokage-sama, there is something else." Yamato spoke up. The ANBU noticed how the Sandaime's eyes hardened for a fraction of a second.

"Yes, Tenzō?"

"The individual who attempted to abduct Naruto mentioned the Foundation. That was the official name for Danzō's ROOT organization. I was led to believe that you disbanded ROOT years ago."

"There is no more ROOT." Hiruzen said with finality.

"But, Hokage-sama…" Yamato pressed.

The Hokage stared down the ANBU. "There. Is. No. ROOT."

"But Old Man, there's no way _real_ ANBU would buy kids as slaves!" Naruto shot from his chair and shouted.

"That is a disturbing accusation Naruto and I promise I will personally look into it. Go home and rest, Naruto." The Third ordered. Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing and began to leave. "Tenzō, you have a new long term mission. You are to observe Naruto and ensure there are no further attempts to seize him."

"Is this assignment purely ANBU or full time, Hokage-sama?" Tenzō asked.

"Use your own discretion. Dismissed."

* * *

Hinata entered the Academy nearly fifteen minutes early. She had barely slept at all the previous night. Kō had confirmed what Namikaze had told her yesterday after school. At first, Hinata had been ecstatic that becoming the top ranked kunoichi would not only force her father to acknowledge her, but insure she would be on the same team as Naruto-kun!

But, her hopes depended on Naruto continuing to fail in the eyes of the Academy. Hinata couldn't stand to see the world put Naruto down. He continued to persevere when lesser people, like Hinata, would have given up long ago. Konoha should admire Naruto. The village should respect the hard work and hopes of someone willing to pull themselves from the gutters to the heights of power, especially when their drive was out of selflessness.

_Naruto deserves so much better._ Hinata shook off her melancholy as she entered the classroom.

"Morning Hinata." Naruto said as he leaned back in his chair. Hinata felt the words catch in her throat. Naruto had not arrived early for class since the first days of the first year.

"G…good M…morning Naruto-kun." Hinata finally forced out and took her usual seat. Naruto had claimed the seat next to hers. Hinata felt her hopes rise as fast as her blush.

"I hope Iruka-sensei is the one to take up our homework." Naruto said after an exaggerated yawn that caused Hinata to giggle.

"Why is that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata kept her eyes fixated on the desk.

"Mizuki-sensei loses my homework occasionally. It's annoying. If I'm going to take time away from training to _do_ the homework, I want to get credit for it." Naruto grunted out. "But I did do yesterday's homework! I promise!" He quickly added.

The rest of the class started filtering in and slowly Naruto and Hinata's conversation slipped away. Iruka, much to Naruto's outspoken relief and Hinata's amusement, collected the homework assignment. After reprimanding Naruto for his outburst, Mizuki-sensei began the lesson on the Shinobi Rules. Hinata would occasionally cast a quick glance at Naruto. She was surprised to discover that Naruto was paying attention. He wasn't taking notes, though. Instead, Naruto looked as if he had swallowed something incredibly bitter. Naruto didn't even bother writing down the homework assignment. Mizuki-sensei dismissed the class, but Naruto sat quietly for a moment. The Hyūga were renowned for their observational prowess, but Hinata found it difficult to read Naruto. Was he annoyed at a boring lesson? Or was it something deeper? Did he have a philosophical disagreement with the Shinobi Rules? Naruto had never struck Hinata as one to think philosophically.

"Hey Hinata, want to come with me to Ichiraku's?" Naruto's question shook Hinata out of her silent observations.

"C…can we make it in time? We only have thirty minutes for lunch." Hinata was thrilled that Naruto was inviting her to lunch. _Maybe yesterday wasn't a fluke!_

"Not if we stand around here." Naruto held out his hand. "Come on, we've only got one shot at today. Let's not have any regrets." Naruto knew that because time travel existed he had technically lied. However, it was a comforting lie for Hinata's sake and a lie he himself desperately wanted to believe.

_I don't want to drown in my regrets like Namikaze does._

Hinata tentatively took Naruto's hand. "N… no regrets, Naruto-kun."

* * *

Namikaze entered the rundown tavern and walked to the bar. Ero-sennin had taught Naruto a great deal about espionage and information gathering during their three year training journey.

"_You can know all the jutsu in the world, but if you can't find your quarry you can't bring them back."_

That was not to say Jiraiya hadn't improved Naruto's jutsu repertoire. The Toad Sage had vastly improved Naruto's chakra control. At the beginning of the three year journey, Naruto couldn't perform even the most basic genjutsu. When Naruto returned to Konoha, he actually wasn't bad with genjutsu. He could make use of them in combat, but his primary opponents possessed the Sharingan and rendered any genjutsu moot. However, most of the training had been geared towards making sure Naruto would advance quickly towards his ultimate goal of becoming Hokage. Naruto had asked Jiraiya why equal time was given to politics, battlefield tactics and etiquette as jutsus and taijutsu.

"_You aren't ending up like _them_, Naruto. I won't let you lose sight of your dreams. Sasuke and Orochimaru lost sight of their dreams and forfeited their future. I'll be damned if I let that happen to you."_

Namikaze sighed in a combination of melancholy that swept over him as he remembered his beloved teacher and annoyance that he was being ignored by the bartender.

"Oi! Who does a guy have to kill to get some service around here?" Namikaze growled.

The bartender finally made his way to Naruto. He leaned in close and, with Hinata's Byakugan active behind the bandages, saw the man grin. "Mean that literally? 'Cause some folks 'round 'ere might make some offers."

"A man's got to earn a living." Namikaze said simply.

"Ah, you're one of dem wandering 'freelance' types." The older man cackled.

"That's right." Namikaze answered while desperately trying to avoid breathing through his nose.

"Well, couple of us need a right arsehole taken out. Calls himself the 'Demon of the Mist' and has a pretty little girl fallo'en him around. Last we heard he's up in Mizuho." The owner of the tavern wiped his hands on his grubby gray jacket.

_Poor Haku, being mistaken for a girl seems to be more common than I thought._ "Mizuho, you say?"

"You can't hear on top of being blind?" The old man waved his hand dismissively.

"You've got a spot right above your breast pocket. The dark soy sauce is really noticeable." Namikaze flashed a cheeky grin and rose from the bar.

"Son, I know we've got a decent bounty on that Demon, but you can't seriously be going after him, can ye?"

"Nah, I'm just going take a look. See how scary this demon and his partner really are." Naruto stopped in the doorway. The smile hadn't faded since he got off his stool. "Speaking of Zabuza's partner, it's a guy."

"There's no way anyone that pretty can be a man!"

"Don't feel bad, I made the same mistake the first time I ran into them." Namikaze laughed at the memory. _Haku, Zabuza. I'll see you soon._

* * *

Hinata was breathing heavily as she ran behind Naruto. The pace wasn't strenuous enough to cause her to be winded. No, her breathless state was because Naruto hadn't let go of her hand since they left the Ichiraku stand.

"I told you not to worry, Hinata! We've got four minutes before the bell!" Naruto shouted as he guided Hinata through a path in the woods behind the Academy.

"I… I trust you, Naruto-kun." Hinata couldn't help but smile. Naruto's enthusiasm was contagious. She would never admit it to anyone other than Naruto, but sneaking out of the Academy for lunch had been thrilling. The conversation at lunch had been wonderful. _I don't know if it was a _conversation_, Naruto-kun did most of the talking, but we learned something about each other. It was almost like we were real friends._ Hinata confided in herself. In her heart, she wished her budding relationship with Naruto was actually a _budding relationship_. She contented herself with the knowledge that Naruto was now acknowledging her existence.

"Thanks!" Naruto and Hinata entered the Academy and entered the classroom at a sedate pace. "Two minutes to spare. Didn't I promise we'd get back in time?"

"You… you certainly have it down to an art form." The heiress slid into her chair.

"Art form?" Naruto rolled the word around on his tongue. "I like that! You're a genius, Hinata!"

"I'm not sure _sneaking out of the Academy without permission_ can be called an art form!" Iruka shouted from behind the two students. Hinata practically bolted from her skin. Naruto, for his part, simply laughed at his exacerbated and favorite teacher.

"Oh come on, Iruka-sensei! One, we're the first ones back. Two, you never saw us leave."

Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please stay out of trouble. The last thing I need is to anger the Hyūga Clan."

"Well, we'll try. But you know how bad an influence Hinata is on me." The blond troublemaker chuckled.

"N…Naruto-kun! I am not that bad of an influence!" Hinata sputtered.

"See! She doesn't even deny it!" Naruto poured a full pound of false innocence into his voice.

Hinata could only stare at Naruto, in shock for once. Iruka ceased pinching his nose and now covered his face with his hand. "You are karma. I swear that you are punishment from heaven for all my childhood sins."

The teacher wandered off and after a few minutes started the next lesson. Hinata turned all her focus into taking notes and away from Naruto's earlier teasing. Naruto zoned out the first part Iruka's lesson on the economic crisis that followed the Second Great Shinobi War. However, when Iruka-sensei began talking about how some guilds had been accused of using the shortages of food and medicine to become fabulously wealthy, Naruto became utterly focused.

_This is what Namikaze was warning me about. How can you hoard and overcharge for food when people are dying in the streets?_ Naruto was grateful when Mizuki-sensei announced they were heading to the ranged weapons range. He didn't think he could swallow back his growing anger.

As the class made their way through the halls, Naruto noticed two things. First, the blond noticed Shikamaru, Kiba and Chōji had discretely rejoined the class. Naruto was usually arguing with Kiba about who would get the highest score on the range now. It was strange that Naruto didn't really miss sitting around and bragging about future glories.

_What future glories? Namikaze only told me about suffering betrayals and watching my girlfriend die._

That dark thought led Naruto to his second observation. Hinata hadn't spoken to him or tried to sneak those little glances at him since lunch.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings early. I shouldn't have teased you." Naruto apologized.

_He called me Hinata-chan. _Hinata did not realize she had stopped walking until someone ran into her back.

"What is your problem, Hyūga?" The harsh voice of Uchiha Sasuke drove away Hinata's pleasant reverie.

"I… I'm sorry!" Hinata yelped as she jumped away from the Rookie of the Year.

"You were trying to feel up Sasuke-kun, weren't you?" Sakura yelled at Hinata.

"No! I've n…never liked Sasuke-san!" Hinata wilted a bit under Sakura and Ino's harsh glares. Before the other girls could accuse her of lying, Hinata practically tripped over herself to catch up to Naruto. "S…sorry about that Naruto-kun."

Naruto waved off Hinata's apology. "I'm the one who is saying he's sorry here. You didn't tease me earlier. Like I said I shouldn't have done that. And I'm sorry, again, if calling you Hinata-chan made you uncomfortable."

"No, I really liked that!" Hinata nearly shouted in her excitement. Her hands started pressing together when the snickering from the other students started. "And… and I know you weren't trying to… to be cruel. I know you were joking, Naruto-kun."

The blond nearly repeated Hinata's early action and stopped in the middle of the milling mass of students. A similar, if far more earth-shattering realization was beginning to coalesce in Naruto's mind.

_Is it her?_

"Hey Hinata-chan, do you…" Naruto's voice was as quite as Hinata had ever heard.

"Do I what?" Hinata crinkled her brow in confusion.

_Do you love me?_ Naruto caught himself before he asked that foolish question. "Do you have any tips for target practice?"

"I… should be asking you that. My clan rarely uses shuriken or kunai. Our ranged attacks are almost exclusively variants of Jūken." Hinata confessed.

"That's actually pretty cool!" The young Jinchūriki shouted drawing even more attention to the pair.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Naruto noticed how the light seemed to dance in Hinata's eyes.

_This is so much better than getting clobbered by Sakura! Gah! I wish Namikaze was still here, or at least told me how to contact him! I guess I'll have to talk to that Yamato guy. He'll probably be watching out for me after that ROOT mess last night._

"Hey, Hinata-chan, watch me kick Sasuke's butt!" Naruto shouted to push the thoughts of Namikaze and last night's trauma from his mind. In this moment, the gathering shadows could not touch Naruto. He felt the closest to peace he had felt since Namikaze had torn down Naruto's childhood.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Here's Chapter Four! I hope you enjoy it, lots of Naruhina in this one! Sorry for the gap in the update, but the combination of Graduate school and a car wreck kind of made it hard to get the chapter out when I wanted to.

Anyway, please continue to the amazing response to this story!


	5. Rivals

Shimura Danzō stood in front of his former teammate and bitter rival's desk. The Hokage had summoned Danzō without explanation or preamble. Hiruzen puffed on his pipe while wearing the full regalia of his position. There was no subtlety in the posturing. Danzō was being reminded of his place in the hierarchy of Konoha.

"You are coming dangerously close to overstepping the bounds of our agreement." Hiruzen said finally. This meeting had none of the usual false camaraderie. Neither elder exchanged quips about how old age was catching up to them.

"Am I, Hiruzen?" Shimura asked without emotion.

"Do not play coy! I am aware there are former ROOT operatives that still place their loyalty to you above their loyalty to Konoha. There was an attempt to seize Uzumaki Naruto last night. One of _my_ ANBU prevented the attempt." Saurtobi slammed his fist on the desk; scattering a stack of papers.

"There is no loyalty above or below loyalty to Konoha! All who I trained in ANBU placed aside their entire being to better serve Konoha!" Danzō rasped.

"I am the Third Hokage! I _am_ the embodiment of Konoha!" The Hokage shouted. "If you attempt to use your stolen eye, I will kill you before you can raise your arm, Danzō."

"So, you do know." Danzō allowed himself a rare half-smile. He despised his former teammate, but he was glad to see there was still some steel in Hiruzen's spine.

"The Second Raikage did not name me the God of Shinobi on a whim." The Hokage rose from his chair and rolled his neck. "I am giving you an ultimatum. Keep your 'instruments' in line. If they act within the walls of Konoha again, I will personally execute you for treason."

"I believe you have reminded me of the status quo, Hokage-sama. If I have no orders on how to serve my village, I will ask to be dismissed." The elder poured honeyed contempt into his voice.

"Do you know what separates you from the source of your eye?" The Hokage growled.

"I am aware of several."

"The Uchiha's only mistake is that they plotted in the open." Hiruzen said darkly.

"A tree struck by lightning can survive the loss of the leaves that bathe in the light so long as the roots that bathe in shadow survive." Danzō countered.

"Go, bathe in your shadows. Remember, _old friend_. If you over reach again, I will not hesitate like I did with the Uchiha." The Hokage spoke with every ounce of authority he possessed.

"Good."

* * *

Naruto and Hinata stood against the back wall to avoid the gaggle of would-be-kunoichi following Sasuke. As usual, the last loyal Uchiha didn't spare anyone a glance.

"Hey, Hinata-chan. I've got a couple of questions" Naruto said when only Hinata, Shikamaru, Iruka-sensei and Naruto himself remained in the classroom.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Hinata answered; proud of her growing confidence around her idol.

"First, what the heck do all the other girls see in Sasuke? I mean, he's never going to talk to any of them." Naruto pouted a bit.

"I… I think they… I think they don't really like Sasuke-san. It's the fantasy they've attached to Sasuke-san that all of the girls like." Hinata explained.

"Not all the girls. You don't seem to chase after him." Naruto pointed out. "Uh, just asking, but what kind of guy… uh, do you like?"

Hinata instantly started pushing her fingers together. The simple action helped steady her racing heart. "Ano… I… like someone... warm."

"Huh? I don't know if liking someone with a fever is a good idea, but I guess you want to be a medic." Naruto chewed over the words. It did kind of make sense that Hinata would want to be a medic. Heck, she'd make an awesome one!

"I… I meant someone with a warm personality, Naruto-kun. S…someone friendly and open." Hinata corrected Naruto after giggling. He could be oblivious at times, but he was so earnest and kind. Hinata admitted to herself that Naruto's former obliviousness used to hurt a bit. He was finally noticing her and Hinata couldn't stop thinking how wonderful the past few days had been.

"Oh." Naruto felt a bit embarrassed that he misunderstood Hinata so badly. "So, pretty much the opposite of Sasuke and those clan types."

"P…pretty much. Was that the second question, Naruto-kun or was there s… something else?" Hinata fidgeted in place.

"I was going to train some. Gotta work on my chakra control. Want to come with me?"

The Hyūga heiress smiled. Naruto seemed to be desperate to make up for lost time but Hinata would never complain. "I would love to. What have you been working on, Naruto-kun?"

"Oh, Nam… I, uh, a friend of mine showed me this super-cool chakra control exercise! I can walk up trees and walls and stuff without using my hands!" Naruto bounced as he explained the exercise. The blond boy deliberately became more animated as he spoke to distract Hinata from his near slip.

_Nam? Namikaze? It had to have been. He said Naruto was his past and future, of course he would help._ Hinata thought. She had a feeling Naruto didn't want the world to know about Namikaze for some reason. So, she let the slip slide. "H…have you tried water walking?"

"We can walk on water?" Naruto asked, somewhat surprised by Hinata's question. "Guess that sounds good. Heck, it sounds great. Lead the way!"

* * *

"Whose truth will you believe in?" The Six Paths of Pain asked in a single voice. Nagato had summoned the two members of Akatsuki he felt were the most likely to turn against Madara. Their reactions were telling.

Uchiha Itachi stood as impassively as ever. Emotionally, he was a blank slate. There was no outward sign of his approval or disapproval of Pain's proposition. Itachi was, in many ways, the perfect ninja. He rarely allowed any emotional cures to surface. Nagato, however, knew exactly where Itachi's loyalties lay.

Uchiha Itachi had deactivated his Sharingan. Nagato had never seen the Uchiha prodigy without his Dōjutsu active.

"I had thought that I had left the World of Lies behind me. I _believed_ in the vision of a World of Truth. Every time I place my faith in anything, the foundation rots away." The second Akatsuki member lamented.

Hoshigaki Kisame was an enormous question mark. Madara had convinced Kisame years ago to believe in his Eye of the Moon. Nagato had summoned Kisame and Itachi to convince Kisame to renounce Madara. Pain wracked the shark-summoner.

"Truth comes from within, Kisame. It is revealed through pain. You have experienced true pain. Madara knows only ambition and the desire for domination. _We_ have suffered and through our suffering we have been granted the noblest of gifts."

"What is noble about us? I slaughtered my comrades to complete a mission. Itachi slaughtered his entire clan. Leader, you've butchered everyone connected to Hanzō."

Tendo stepped forward. "As I said, Kisame. Our _pain_ has opened our eyes to the world. We are the only ones who can see clearly. We are the only ones capable of finding _truth_. The masses, the comfortable masses, have no reason to search for truth. As long as their empty comfort remains, they will gladly ignore the pain of their neighbor. They have no need for _truth_."

"They are blind." Kisame spat out the words in disgust.

"We shall make them see. Madara will never allow any truth but his own." Pain fought the urge to smile. Convincing Kisame was a major victory and a potentially devastating blow to Madara.

"Leader." Itachi's voice was soft, but cut through the temporary silence like a blade.

"Speak, Itachi." The closest Path, Asura, responded to the rogue Uchiha.

"What of the Bijū?" Itachi allows a whisper of curiosity to enter his voice.

"Our previous path led to ruination." The Deva Path spoke again.

"Ruination? We haven't collected a single Tailed Beast." Kisame eyed the Paths of Pain and Konan curiously.

"It is time I shared a facet of truth." The voice was different from the Paths of Pain and accompanied by the straining of gears and metal impacting on metal.

Nagato emerged from the shadows and initiated Kisame and Itachi into Nagato and Naruto's Truth.

* * *

Hinata activated her Byakugan to help Naruto with the water walking exercise. She was pleasantly surprised by how much control Naruto actually had. Last term, he struggled with the simple exercises the Academy had taught everyone. Hinata realized that 'struggled' wasn't the right word. Naruto had done the exercise well. In fact, he mastered it as quickly as most of the class. Only Sasuke, Sakura, Ino and Hinata had mastered the exercise notably quicker.

_The exercises actually did help Naruto-kun_. Hinata thought as she watched Naruto slosh his way to shore. _Naruto-kun just has so much chakra that simple exercises can't help him enough._

"Man, Hinata-chan! I'm really jealous of how good you are at this." Naruto said enthusiastically as he tried to shake his hair dry.

"Ano, I've been... working on exercises like this since I c…could walk." Hinata confessed shyly. She didn't want to make Naruto feel inferior so she quickly added. "B…but you've made incredible progress in one day!"

"Thanks, Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted. Hinata instinctively looked away when Naruto removed his shirt. Her Byakugan was still active and she couldn't help but notice Naruto wringing out his soaked t-shirt. "So, where am I screwing up?"

"Y…you aren't screwing… up. It… you just have so much chakra. I… I've never seen anyone with as much chakra as you have, Naruto-kun."

"Huh? I'm not sure I follow." Naruto asked as he sat on the bank of the pond. He suddenly felt a twist in his gut. The Jinchūriki wasn't sure if it was worry due to the Kyūbi or _by_ the Kyūbi. _Don't bring up my seal; please don't bring up my seal._ Naruto thought in a panic. He wasn't ready to reveal the existence of the Kyūbi to Hinata yet. The boy _wanted_ to. No, he _needed_ to, but he was deathly afraid of driving away his most precious person. The blond swallowed back a sigh. Naruto had not given much thought to his prisoner since Namikaze and the Hokage had informed him of the Demon Fox. Truthfully, Naruto didn't _want_ to think of the monster in his gut. The greatest pain Naruto had consistently known was the pain of never being acknowledged. It may be petty, but Naruto knew it was the only way to strike at the source of his misery.

Hinata walked silently towards the shore. She wasn't entirely sure how to approach the subject with Naruto. The last thing Hinata wished was to make Naruto feel uncomfortable or, worse, inferior. Hinata's fondest wish was to help Naruto a mere fraction of the amount he helped her daily.

Hinata sat gracefully beside Naruto. Her face was flush at her perceived boldness. "Do you remember last year's flood?"

"Yeah, I remember it. There hasn't been a flood like that in a generation. Well, at least according to Hokage-ojisan." Naruto answered Hinata, even if he wasn't sure what she meant.

"Y…your chakra is like the flood. It… it is so powerful and plentiful that it is hard to contain or control. Most people are a stream. They will never match the amount or power of your chakra, but they will be able to control their chakra easier." Hinata whispered. Even without her Byakugan, she could see understanding dawning on Naruto. "I… I'm just a trickle. I will never have your power or endurance. All I will have is control."

"I think I get most of it." Naruto nodded. "There's one thing I don't get though."

"I…I'm sorry if I explained everything so… poorly." Hinata apologized quickly.

"You're awesome." Hinata's head shot up at Naruto's simple declaration. No one had ever called her awesome before. "I mean, you've got the best chakra control I've ever seen, you're really nice, you've got the Byakugan…"

Hinata had managed to push aside her nervousness while trying to explain just how powerful Naruto was. Unfortunately, Naruto's rattling off a list of Hinata's traits was almost too much. No one had spoken so positively about Hinata in years. Hinata struggled to control her breathing as Naruto reached the ninth personality trait on his impromptu list. His words were blurring together in Hinata's mind.

"… you even like Ramen! You're really cute and patient." Naruto took a deep breath before he could continue his onslaught of positivity. Hinata was shaking and on the verge of tears. _I've worked myself to the brink sparing imoto. This is a happy dream brought on by exhaustion._ "What I'm trying to say, Hinata-chan, is I don't understand how you can put yourself down."

"I'm weak." Hinata said simply. Her mind was still reeling from the unexpected, and tad excessive, positive reinforcement.

"Hell no you aren't." Naruto said forcefully.

Hinata gulped. The tone Naruto used blindsided her. He sounded offended by Hinata's low opinion of herself. _Please don't be angry. Please don't push me away._ "I… I do not m…meet the standards of m…my clan. I… I can't even beat Hanabi-chan in spars! She's seven!"

"But I've seen you spar in the Academy. None of the other girls can even land a hit." Naruto was confused. He flinched when he saw the distress in Hinata's eyes.

"I… I just can't fight her, even in spars. She… Hanabi-chan reminds me of mother."

"Oh." Naruto didn't know how to respond. The closest people Naruto had to family was Iruka-sensei, the Hokage, Teuchi and Ayame. _And Namikaze_. He had trouble relating to family issues. "But you would never intentionally hurt her."

"Of… of course not." Hinata chewed her lip. "But… Jūken…"

"I'll admit I don't know much about your clan's style. It is secret and stuff. But, like I said earlier, you've got crazy awesome chakra control. I _know_ you can spar and _beat_ your little sister without hurting her." Naruto couldn't stand to see his best friend so down. Unfortunately, Naruto's knowledge of the Hyūga's 'Gentle Fist' style was limited to the facts that it used chakra and was anything but gentle. His advice could only be simple platitudes and encouragement.

Hinata sat silently for a full minute and Naruto was horrified that he had said something wrong. _Please don't be angry. Please don't push me away._ Naruto thought in a panic.

"Why do you believe in me like this, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as she wiped away a few stray tears.

"Because someone has to, Hinata-chan."

* * *

Namikaze balanced at the apex of a pine tree. The time traveler could feel the Nature Chakra swirling within his being and achieve the right balance. Namikaze took a deep breath as he extended his ability to sense chakra outwards. He searched for the most powerful chakra signatures he could find. It was highly unlikely that the small hamlet of Mizuho was hiding anyone who could rival Momochi Zabuza or Haku.

_Shit. I found Haku and Zabuza, but what is that other chakra source?_ Namikaze grumbled before calling upon the memories buried in Hinata's eyes. "Byakugan."

Namikaze's vision expanded for miles. The entire world was laid bare. A couple was watching their child play while waiting for dinner. Miles away, a farmer was guiding a stubborn ox into a well cared-for barn. Namikaze's objectives were sitting in the local inn.

And at the very edge of his vision, he saw six masked Ninja approaching the village. Namikaze couldn't confirm who the Ninja were, but he had an inkling.

"Time to take a risk." Namikaze leapt from the tree and strolled into the village. The vast majority of humanity was utterly incapable of wielding chakra, much less molding the combination of spiritual and physical power. But the human mind had an instinctive ability to recognize sheer power.

And Namikaze was _radiating_ power. Crowds parted in a mix of fear, awe and respect. It was far different than the reactions Namikaze experienced as a youth in Konoha. He pushed aside the memories of a future and past that would never happen and entered the inn. A smile found its way to Namikaze's lips. Zabuza was counting a stack of Ryō notes a man had just handed over. The mystery man left without a word, but not without a nervous glance at Zabuza's legendary blade. Haku was daintily sipping at a drink.

_I'm really going to have to talk to him about that._ Namikaze swallowed a chuckle and approached the two missing-nin.

"I hope you have a good reason for getting so close." Zabuza growled but didn't turn around.

"Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist." The blond said warmly. He nodded at Haku. "And Haku wielder of the Hyōton."

_That _got Zabuza's attention and he finally turned around. "You do realize I'm going to have to kill you."

Namikaze shrugged. He saw Haku stand up. "You can try later. It seems Kiri's Hunter-nins have managed to track you. There are six approaching from the northeast."

"You're an arrogant one to think that you only need six Hunters as backup to beat me." Zabuza flashed through a series of hand seals. The civilians had long since fled from the inn. "Kirigakure No Jutsu."

"Byakugan." Namikaze said after flashing through his own hand seals. "I'm not here to fight either of you."

"We cannot allow you to reveal our secrets, Hyūga-san." Haku said from a position behind Namikaze.

"First off, I'm no more Hyūga than you are a girl. Second, why would I fight someone who shares the same enemy?"

Zabuza swung his fearsome blade aiming to take the interloper's head off. His shock hung in the air like the unnatural mist when the fabled Executioner's Blade was blocked by a simple kunai.

"I know who was responsible for the Bloodline purges. I know who was controlling Yagura." Namikaze didn't shout or show fear. Instead, he was conversing calmly with both Zabuza and Haku.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Momochi grimaced behind his bandages.

"I'll explain everything as soon as we take care of those Hunter-nins." Namikaze promised.

"Fine, I'll kill you later." Zabuza ceased straining against Namikaze's Nature Chakra enhanced strength. "Let's take it outside. I like this little shithole. Come on Haku."

The three ninja exited the inn and took positions. Haku leapt onto the roof after fixing his false Hunter-nin mask into place. It was when Haku cast one last glance at Zabuza-sama and the mysterious not-Hyūga that he noticed something was amiss. One of the scrolls actually seemed to be shrouded with a thin haze of chakra.

_Is he leading the Hunter-nin to us? I should have incapacitated him the moment he arrived._ Haku grimaced while taking his position. _Who are you?_ The feminine boy could not bring himself to trust the Byakugan wielder, but strangely could not bring himself to hate him either.

_Why are you so familiar?_

* * *

Naruto walked towards the center of Konoha with Hinata in what appeared to be a comfortable silence. It was true that the two Academy students were becoming very comfortable in each other's presence. This comfort allowed them the ability to reflect on the turmoil the comfort had ironically unleashed.

Naruto, for his part, was now almost certainly convinced that the woman Namikaze constantly spoke of was Hinata. _Namikaze's eyes were Hinata's once._ Naruto recoiled at the thought. Naruto received a new, and terrible, clarity regarding the nightmare that tortured him the night before Namikaze's arrival.

_That was Hinata. I have watched her die. Twice._ In that moment, Naruto swore there would be never be a third.

The Hyūga heiress still had trouble believing the past few days were anything but a dream. She had spent as much time with Naruto as she could manage. Hinata had seemingly absorbed some of the confidence that radiated off Naruto. Her Jūken tutors had recently commented that perhaps Hinata was not as hopeless as they feared. _I can continue to change. Naruto-kun has shown me that it is possible! I will win my next match. For him!_

Hinata closed her eyes and laughed as Naruto's stomach growled.

"You are hopeless. This is the second time!" Hinata's eyes shot open the second she felt the impact. She had run into Sasuke as she rounded the corner.

"Don't talk about Hinata-chan like that you bastard!" Naruto shouted at the Uchiha survivor.

"I… I'm sorry." Hinata whispered. She looked to Naruto and saw his indignant glare at his rival. The Hyūga felt a comforting warmth at the realization that the anger was not due to her, but _for _her. "I… didn't see you."

"I thought your clan bragged about their 'all seeing eyes'." Sasuke grunted.

"M…my Byakugan is not active all the time, Sasuke-san. Hinata confessed quietly.

Naruto took a step closer to Hinata. "At least she can activate hers."

"What did you say you worthless trash?" The 'Last Uchiha' roared.

"Naruto-kun is not worthless!" Hinata shouted at Sasuke. The two boys stared at Hinata for a moment. Naruto eventually broke out in a proud smile. Sasuke's face returned to its natural state of neutral disdain.

"He is a clanless orphan. I don't see why you even associate with him. The fool is so far below your station that you might as well be wiping him off your sandals." There was something unusual about Sasuke's tone. It took Hinata a long moment to realize that it was confusion. Sasuke genuinely failed to comprehend why Hinata spent time with Naruto.

"Naruto-kun is… is my best friend. He… he is a hard worker and knows that true success isn't handed to someone because of their name!" Hinata defended Naruto from Sasuke.

"Hmph." Sasuke turned his glare to Naruto. The two opposites actually smirked at each other. Tension filled the space between them like a gas. A single spark would ignite a fire that would not be extinguished easily. "I don't understand you, Hyūga. Every other girl in our class fawns over me. You, for some maddening reason, chose this dead last loser. They all call me Sasuke-kun. You use san. Why?"

Sasuke's tone reminded Hinata of her father Hiashi's coldest tone. Hinata desperately fought the urge to run away. She instinctively reached out and gripped Naruto's hand. The heiress felt her best friend's surprise, but the contact was not rejected. Naruto's presence calmed her soul and she stood straighter.

"Why? B…because to Naruto-kun, I'm Hinata. With Naruto-kun, I'm not drowning in the expectations of my family." Hinata gained confidence with each breath. Naruto's warm expression became soft.

"Let's go, Hinata-chan. You'll need a bite to eat before your clan training. Where do you want to go?"

"I… I'm not sure. There are a… few good places on the way home. I'd love to go to Tsutsuji, but I'm not sure zen….zenzai would sit well before a Jūken spar." Hinata and Naruto were quickly lost in their own private world.

"Yeah, zenzai may be the second greatest food in the world, but I wouldn't eat it before a sparring match." Naruto agreed.

"Y…you like zenzai?" Hinata questioned excitedly.

Sasuke stood forgotten as the pair wandered off. He hated Naruto and Hinata in that moment. They had brushed him off. The clanless _loser_ and the weak-willed Hyūga heiress acted as if Sasuke, the last son of the Konoha's greatest clan, was simply another plebian.

The Uchiha survivor admitted that he was jealous of Hinata and Naruto. They had found a measure of happiness. Everything about the two reminded Sasuke of the golden age before the Massacre. Another moment flashed in his mind for a moment. Instead of watching the dead last and the heiress wandering off, he saw his younger self walking with Itachi while laughing happily. There had also been a fleeting moment where Sasuke had truly understood Hinata. They both had drowned in unreachable expectations. Sasuke stormed off into the village and cursed the day he met Uzumaki Naruto and Hyūga Hinata.

* * *

Namikaze was holding back. True, he still had two minutes left in Sage Mode and had finished off one of the Hunter-nin with Wind Release: Wind Cutter within seconds. He was holding back because he had not used the Rasengan, Wind Release: Rasengan or any technique that could connect him to Konoha. It was strange, Namikaze thought. His actions were almost like he was ashamed of Konoha.

_No, that's not true. I'm ashamed of what Konoha has become_. Namikaze thought as he used Natural Energy to extend his reach and knock the second Hunter-nin through the village wall. A third Hunter-nin was going through a series of hand-seals. _She led with the Snake Seal and followed it with the Horse Seal. It's probably a Doton jutsu. _Namikaze quickly threw a brace of shuriken at the Kiri ANBU. There was no way such a basic and obvious diversion would stop the hand-seals. Truthfully, it was never meant to. Namikaze was merely aiming to make the Hidden Mist Ninja hesitate for a fraction of a second. The slight hesitation was all Namikaze needed to close the distance and deliver a vicious kick to the woman's temple. There was a wet cracking sound as the woman was thrown several feet by the force of the impact.

Zabuza cleaved the final Hunter-nin in half vertically. The Demon of the Mist was now firmly convinced the new guy was one of the most dangerous ninja he had ever encountered. The kid had defeated a Hyūga and taken both Byakugan. That meant the kid had to be smart _and_ fast. The Hyūga Juinjutsu destroyed the White Eyes within moments of death. If that had been his only feat, Zabuza would have been just impressed.

Impressed couldn't begin to cover Zabuza's shock at the kid's strength. The boy had just obliterated three ANBU in the space of a minute. Hell, he had killed his first one before Haku's Thousand Needles of Death had even hit the first Hunter-nin.

_There are few ninja capable of even matching Haku's speed, but this punk blew Haku out of the water. _

"I think you're going to tell us who the fuck you are and what you want." Momochi spoke in an eerily calm voice.

"I'm Namikaze and complicated. As for what I want… I'm recruiting for…" Namikaze began to explain when suddenly Hinata's gift detected a Chakra flare from Nagato's scroll.

"_Akatsuki_." The outline of the Deva Path of Pain appeared. "_Brother Naruto and I seek the aid of powerful ninja to end the threat of Uchiha Madara."_

"I don't mean to sound like I'm not glad to see you my Brother Apprentice, but how the hell are you tracking me like this?" Namikaze asked as his eyes shifted from the toad-like appearance of Sage Mode to the faintly purple tent of Hinata's Byakugan.

"_The scroll is based on the same principle as another… tool I have used._" Tendo half explained.

Namikaze shrugged his shoulders. "As my brother apprentice said, we need help defeating Uchiha Madara. This man is not only my enemy, but Madara is a personal enemy to both of you. Zabuza, Madara was the individual manipulating Yagura."

Zabuza stared at Namikaze and the astral projection of 'Tendo'. "I will need proof, obviously."

"I… I do not mean to intrude, but how is this Uchiha my personal enemy? I have never encountered a Sharingan user before." Haku chewed his lip as he asked the question.

"If it wasn't for Madara, the cycle of hatred that ensnared your father and led to his madness would have never occurred. Without Madara, you would have been a simple farmer." Namikaze whispered behind closed eyes.

"How do you know that? I've never told anyone other than Zabuza-sama that story! Who are you? Who are you truly?" Haku erupted and drew several senbon.

"You told me the story a long time ago, at least from my perspective. We were on opposite sides of a battle. Moments before, I had watched you use your Senbon in combination with your Demonic Ice Mirrors to put my comrade in a near-death state. I flew into a rage and forced you to abandon the Mirrors. Haku, you shared the source of your pain with me. Unfortunately, the chance to reach an understanding never happened. Moments later, you sacrificed yourself to protect Zabuza." Namikaze recounted the last time he had seen Haku alive. The Hyōton carrier dropped his senbon and stared at Namikaze with a strange mix of vindication and terror.

The blond Byakugan wielder took a moment before continuing. "Zabuza had been wounded by my Jonin instructor earlier. When Gatō, the short bastard who had hired the two of you, arrived he arrived to betray you. He demeaned Haku's sacrifice and Zabuza's worth as a Shinobi. Zabuza's last moments were that of a true shinobi. He died without fear and killed Gatō and nearly a hundred of his thugs. The two of you… had a profound impact on my life. I shaped my entire world view based on the short period we knew each other."

"Even if…" Zabuza managed to find his voice first. "What you are saying isn't possible. I've never seen you before. I've never fought you before. And Haku hasn't seen you before."

"_Not in this life, Zabuza-san._" Yahiko's body spoke. "_Naruto and I have defied time itself. And we continue to defy time. There is much more that you must know."_

Namikaze and Pain told Haku and Zabuza of Danzō's actions and betrayals. The two brother apprentices spoke of the ritual that returned them to the past. Nagato and Namikaze shared the history of their great pains. The original purpose of Akatsuki and the methods they pursued in the previous timeline. It was only when Nagato, through the astral projection of the Deva Path, revealed Madara's Eye of the Moon plan that Haku spoke.

"That is not peace. It is the worst form of slavery. This Madara seeks not only to enslave our bodies, but our souls. He would rob us of everything that makes up human."

"Exactly, Haku. That is why we need your help." Namikaze spoke with undeniable passion.

"This is just so much to take in." Haku felt his voice break as he spoke. It was not every day you were approached by a man who spoke of how your noble sacrificial death changed their world view.

"Beyond destroying Uchiha Madara and achieving some small measure of justice for the Hidden Mist, why should we help Akatsuki?" Zabuza interrogated the astral projection and the madman.

"The Great Villages have fallen far from the glory of their promise." Namikaze announced with determination. He paused for a moment before grinning. "I'll have to remember that one. It wasn't half bad."

"Please get to the point." Haku quietly prodded the older man.

"Oh right." Namikaze scratched the back of his head. After a moment, his face became hard and Zabuza was struck by an image of Namikaze Minato. _Is this man the child of the Yellow Flash?_ _It would explain his ungodly chakra capacit and his speed._

"_Our goal is to guide the world to peace. The Five Great Villages were created to ensure stability. The First Hokage attempted to create a balance of power through the proliferation of the Tailed Beasts. His sentiment, while noble, ultimately failed. The intention was correct, but the Shodai Hokage should not have involved the Jinchūriki."_

"Jinchūriki have been reduced to weapons. They are not valued as human beings and have grown to resent humanity. Most Jinchūriki have experienced a pain we know all too well. The unbearable pain of being unwanted. They are a wildcard that we must take into consideration." Namikaze motioned grandly, but there was an edge to his tone. An edge that could only be created through personal hardship.

"What are you two getting at?" Zabuza was rapidly losing his patience.

"_As soon as Akatsuki cleanses itself of Uchiha Madara and our more… unstable elements, we shall recruit the Jinchūriki and seek to cast down the status quo." _Pain announced.

"The cycle of hatred must be broken. The Great Villages: Konoha, Kirigakure, Iwa, Kumo, Suna… We shall tear them down, brick by brick if necessary. Then, we shall rebuild them while guiding the world into an age of understanding and peace." Namikaze softly declared in the tone of a man willing to die for his dream.

"_Will you stand with us? Will you seek to ensure the dawn of a new era?" _Yahiko's Rinnegan narrowed as he gave Zabuza and Haku their one chance.

The two powerful missing-nin were silent for a long time. "I wish to see the birth of this new world of understanding." Haku finally spoke.

"If you've convinced Haku, I'll go along with it. This is the only way to fulfill my ambitions of reforming Kirigakure."

Namikaze bowed his head in thanks. "We will do more than fulfill our ambitions, Zabuza. We will save this world from itself."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Here's Chapter 5! I hope you guys enjoy it. For some reason, this chapter just _flowed_ out so easily.

And it's looking like Namikaze's plans are coming along very smoothly. The million Ryō question is if the independent Naruto back in Konoha will follow along the path Namikaze hopes...


	6. Connections

Uchiha Sasuke ignored the collection of fools and fangirls pandering for his attention. His natural posture of quiet disdain was perfectly in place. However, inside the privacy of his mind he was recalling the past day. Sasuke had spent a good bit of time berating himself for allowing Naruto and Hinata to get under his skin. The day had not been going well prior to the encounter. He had approached the Hokage's Tower, as per his monthly routine, and sought information about Itachi's movements and the steps Konoha was taking to bring the monster to justice. Usually, the Third would at least give Sasuke a scrap of information and reiterate his stance that any and all Konoha ANBU had orders to eliminate Itachi as a threat in any way possible. Sasuke knew that while Konoha's ANBU were the best in the world; they still weren't on Itachi's level. Complete monster or no, Sasuke's traitor of a brother was still the finest ninja Konoha had ever produced.

_He could have been Hokage._ Sasuke lamented in his mind. _Itachi could have been the one. My brother could have been the Uchiha to finally claim what should have been ours from the beginning. _

This time, Hokage-sama had been unusually short tempered. Sarutobi had curtly told Sasuke that there were no new developments and that the standing orders had not changed. Then, the Hokage had called his secretary to dismiss Sasuke. His ill mood had not been helped by the Hyūga heiress running into him or Naruto's angry reply to Sasuke. Naruto had _really_ gotten to him with his comment about Sasuke's failure to awaken his Sharingan. Normally, Sasuke would have ignored the loudmouth blond-haired idiot, but Sasuke had been so focused on Itachi that day. Naruto's words in defense of Hinata were simply another reminder of how far behind Sasuke was falling. Then, Hinata had forced Sasuke to recall the pressures of those precious days when the Uchiha still flourished. The two did not realize how deep their words had unintentionally cut him.

He still did not like his two classmates, but on some level, Sasuke could respect them. Of all the students in Sasuke's Academy class, Naruto and Hinata were the only ones who seemed to realize the harsh reality that awaited them after graduation. Sasuke would never apologize, but he would show that he harbored them no animosity.

_I think I'll look into their training methods. Who knows, maybe they'll have something worth adopting?_

* * *

"It is a rare day, when I initiate a conversation." Uchiha Itachi never diverted his attention from directly ahead.

"Heh, I guess it is," Kisame grunted. "But it's not every day you realize the belief you adopted to free yourself from a world of lies is revealed to be just another lie."

The two Akatsuki members walked in silence for several miles. "As Leader stated, truth comes from within. You must find your own truth, Kisame."

The shark-man looked into the distance. "I've lived in a world of lies for so long, that I don't really know if I can even recognize truth. Why should I believe Leader over Madara? Madara at least had a plan that possessed a concrete end goal. Now, we're aiming to 'reform' the Great Village system. Is that even possible?"

"It is possible." Itachi answered after another long pause. "Do you remember our first conversation, Kisame?"

"I remember. I talked about my nature and you talked about how you won't know what kind of person you are until the moment you die."

The renegade Uchiha turned and nodded at his partner. "We did. It is true we only discover our nature at the moment of our deaths, but our lives are the journey that leads to that discovery."

"Feeling talkative today, huh? Well, Itachi-san what other life changing advice to you have?"

Itachi resumed walking. "No. I merely will reiterate what Leader told us."

"That we make our own truth? I told you already; I've been submerged in a world of lies for so long I don't think I know what truth is." Kisame wasn't really speaking to Itachi in that moment.

"That is why creating your own truth is so vital." Itachi commented evenly.

The former Swordsman of the Mist could not respond. He could only watch Itachi advance with purpose and with conviction. Kisame only advanced in the vain hope that he would discover the truth he so desperately sought.

* * *

Hinata leaned back and dodged Naruto's somewhat clumsy drop kick. The Hyūga heiress knew that she had much better form than Naruto. However, her crush was a master at using the terrain to gain any possible advantage. Hinata was a martial artist. Her form was precise, measured and beautiful to behold. Naruto fought more like a ninja. His form was not as tight as it could be, but Naruto used the terrain better. The whiskered Academy student was also not afraid to fight dirty. That did not mean Naruto was using attacks that would hurt Hinata. If this had been a real battle and Hinata a real enemy, Naruto probably would have gone for several crippling blows by this point. Instead, he had discovered a far more insidious way to 'win' the spars.

Naruto had discovered that Hinata was ticklish.

After three such attacks, Hinata had given Naruto a stronger 'zap' on the hand.

"_Two_ can play at that game." Hinata countered and stuck her tongue out at Naruto.

Naruto froze in place and took on a mask of mock outrage. "Hinata-sama! I cannot believe you would act _in such an undignified_ _manner_. I… I dare say that this behavior is an attempt _to have fun_." The temporary mask slipped away and Naruto started laughing. Hinata started giggling in spite of herself.

"Well, Uzumaki-san, contrary to popular belief; the Hyūga have not officially banned having fun." Hinata responded as haughtily as she could. The attempt failed after a few seconds and her smug look was replaced by a happy grin.

"You should smile like that all the time." Naruto returned the smile. "But being serious for a bit... I think we found the right amount of zap to put into your Jūken. It's weak enough to not really hurt, but strong enough to where you definitely feel it."

"I have a spar with Hotaka-san later today. I… I think that will be a good match to try things out."

Naruto nodded and flopped down. "Neh, Hinata-chan. I've got a question about your clan. Don't worry; I'm not going to ask for any secret techniques or anything."

"What is it, Naruto-kun?"

"I've heard you talk about 'Main Family' and 'Branch Family' a lot. Aren't clans supposed to be one big family?" Naruto asked.

Hinata frowned and looked away. Naruto started sputtering apologizes, but Hinata silenced him by sitting next to him. "The Hyūga are very protective of our bloodline. We have divided the clan into two 'branches'. The Main branch guides the Hyūga and the Branch protects the Clan."

"It doesn't sound like you really believe or agree with all that." Naruto watched as Hinata chewed her lip.

"The Branch members are all sealed. The Main family can activate the seal to inflict great pain on Branch members. The seal also destroys the Byakugan at death to prevent anyone from learning our secrets." Hinata continued, but couldn't look Naruto in the eye. She was simply reciting what she had been taught. After finishing she paused for a long time. Hinata gasped as she felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder.

"Hinata-chan, I promise that I won't tell anyone your clan's or your secrets. I promise that you can trust me." Naruto assured Hinata.

"I h…hate it. Th…the Main Branch… we… we enslave our own family. Why?" The heiress wanted to shout about the injustices she witnessed every day, but faltered. Instead, it was a whisper.

"You'll end it. Hinata-chan, you'll free your family. And you know what, I'll help you." Naruto swore.

"T…thank you, Naruto-kun. I… I should get back to the Compound." Hinata tried to compose herself. She rose to her feet.

"Show them how awesome you are, Hinata-chan." Naruto beamed.

"I will… for both of us." The Hyūga heiress then acted on impulse. She hugged Naruto. It was a quick and light hug. For Hinata, it was an incredibly bold act. For Naruto, it was confirmation. Hinata broke the hug and was bright red. Naruto, for the first time, nearly matched Hinata's hue.

"See you tomorrow, Hinata-chan." Naruto knew he had to speak with Yamato about this.

_I defied time itself for her. I'd do it again without hesitation._

* * *

Namikaze was leading Haku and Zabuza to the rendezvous point Pain had arranged. It felt good to have Zabuza and Haku on the right side. Namikaze couldn't help but feel confident that the horror he experienced before Nagato, Yamato and the Great Old Geezer sent him back would never happen. Namikaze's personal tragedies would not be the only tragedies prevented. Deidara would never be able to take out Gaara. He would be safe. The Jinchūriki smiled as he realized that he and Gaara weren't the only Jinchūriki the new Akatsuki would save; Utakata, and the others would be safe as well.

_I'm excited that I'll get the chance to meet them. Maybe I can convince them to join us? We Jinchūriki know the value of bonds better than anyone because they are so rare and precious to us._

"What was it like, Namikaze-san?" Haku broke the silence with his question.

"It can be a lot of things, Haku. What do you want to know?" Namikaze responded to the vague question.

"What was it like to travel through time? What is it like to have a second chance?" The last Ice Release wielder asked.

"Strangely, I didn't feel it work at all. One minute, I'm in the future and the next, I'm in the past. But having a second chance… I'm thankful for it. I'm going to make sure that everyone who deserves a second chance gets one. That's why I sought you and Zabuza out. You both deserve one." The Sage responded.

"I thank you for your faith in Zabuza-sama and myself." Haku smiled as he leapt to another branch.

"Namikaze, I need to know what we are walking into." Zabuza interrupted.

The time-traveler stopped on a large branch and gathered Nature Chakra. A moment later, he had re-entered Sage Mode and activated Hinata's Byakugan. "The area is clear. It looks like we've arrived ahead of Nagato-nii-san's agents."

"Can we trust these guys?" Zabuza could not accept Namikaze as quickly as Haku had.

Namikaze turned to the Demon of the Hidden Mist and smiled. "Nagato-nii-san assured me that the two agents he is sending to meet with us are against Madara."

The trio waited in silence for the Akatsuki representatives to arrive. Momochi Zabuza was still unsure why he decided to follow Namikaze. The boy had undeniable charisma and knew exactly what to say to draw Zabuza in. Strangely, Haku had quickly and completely bought into Namikaze and Pain's vision of the future. Zabuza focused on how at peace Namikaze seemed. How could a man preaching revolution, a revolution that would undoubtedly become violent, have such inner peace?

_Conviction. Namikaze and Pain are utterly convinced they know the path the world should take. I can admire them for that. I just don't know if I can trust them._

Momochi simply observed the mysterious Namikaze for a time. The younger man meditated with his Byakugan and his strange 'Sage' mode active. It was near impossible to get a read on Namikaze. There was only one thing for certain. No one had ever had a more accurate name. Namikaze was certainly going to cause waves with his actions.

_This man is going to change the world._

"Our contacts are here." Namikaze opened his eyes and stood up. Haku nodded and Zabuza grunted. The Executioner's Blade immediately found its way to Zabuza's hands.

"YOU!" The Demon of the Hidden Mist roared at the approaching Akatsuki members.

"Would you look at this? I never expected to see you again, Zabuza." The Monster of the Hidden Mist replied with a toothy grin.

"Kisame, you bastard, how could you sell us out to the Mizukage like that? Yagura was going to destroy Kirigakure!" Zabuza did not lower his voice or his blade.

"I was _loyal_ to my oaths." Kisame shot back.

Zabuza prepared to lash out. "And I was loyal to Kirigakure itself!"

Kisame readied Samehada. The two former Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist were coiled and prepared to strike when the second Akatsuki member stepped between them.

"We are not enemies. Our sole enemy is Uchiha Madara." The words seemed to calm Kisame. The Demon of the Hidden Mist was about to snap off a reply when he saw the quiet man's eyes.

The eyes were cold. They were the eyes of a man who had killed without emotion and would do so again.

"Who are you kid?" Momochi needed to know this man's name.

The Akatsuki member closed his eyes. Instinctively, Zabuza entered a defensive stance when the eyes opened. In the place of the black void was the legendary Sharingan. "Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

Naruto had walked Hinata halfway back to her compound. He didn't want his reputation as Konoha's social pariah to get Hinata in trouble. So far, Naruto's new friendship with Hinata was the only good thing to come from Namikaze's arrival. Everything else was so confusing or earth-shattering that Naruto could barely comprehend them.

"I need to talk to Yamato." Naruto sighed as he headed towards Ichiraku. Teuchi greeted Naruto as warmly as ever and the two talked about how Naruto was doing in the Academy. The Ichiraku Ramen Stand was a comfort for Naruto. There was no time-travel, no troubles with the Academy, no rivalry with Sasuke or confusing thoughts about Hinata and the path of Naruto's life. Here, Naruto was simply Naruto.

_I need to bring Hinata-chan here soon._ Naruto thought as he finished his bowl.

"Awesome as always, Old Man Teuchi!" Naruto shouted as he paid.

"Thank you Naruto! I'll see you tomorrow!" Teuchi responded as Naruto took off.

Naruto was feeling much better following the meal and his casual talk with Teuchi. As he slipped back into a state of comfortably enforced ignorance, he slowed down.

"Okay, when I get home, I need to practice with my shuriken, chakra control, water my plants…" Naruto started listing off everything he needed to do at home. _I love the Shadow Clone technique!_ The happy thought was interrupted when Naruto ran into something.

"This seriously has to stop." Naruto instantly recognized Sasuke's voice.

"Then maybe you should quit stalking me." The Jinchūriki shot back.

Sasuke glared back at Naruto for a moment before scoffing and changing his expression. "You've changed."

"Huh?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"You've changed. Naruto, you are still dead last but something's off. I haven't seen you shooting off your mouth quite as much. And that's before you decided to use Hinata as a fall back girl." Sasuke listed off the changes he noticed in Naruto. It was apparent that the self-assuredness in Sasuke's voice had been toned down. The Last Loyal Uchiha was trying his hardest not to sound condescending.

Unfortunately, he failed in his attempt. "Two things. First and most important, I may not know what a 'fall back girl' is, but **I won't let you talk about Hinata-chan that way.** Second, I actually realize how dangerous the world out there is."

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's declaration. It was good to see that _someone_ got it. "Looks like you actually like Hinata. Never thought you'd notice."

"Yeah…" Naruto started thinking and realized that, yes; he was starting to _like_ Hinata. Heck, he'd like Hinata even if she wasn't the woman in the future who declared her love for him and defended him against a powerful enemy.

"What kind of training have you been doing?" The Uchiha decided to speak as Naruto's wistful look was making him uncomfortable.

"Oh." Naruto snapped out of his reverie. "Mostly chakra control. If I had better chakra control, I'd probably be a full Genin by now."

Sasuke nodded. It irked him to admit, but Naruto was right. The only reason Naruto was 'dead last' is because he completely zoned out during the academic portions of the Academy. "The exercises the Academy taught haven't helped you much."

"Well, according to Iruka and some other teachers I've had..." Naruto wasn't about to reveal Yamato or Namikaze to Sasuke. "I have a ton of chakra. So, I need more hardcore exercises."

"What kind of exercises?" Sasuke was intrigued in spite of himself.

A wave of triumph washed over Naruto. Today was great. Earlier, he had helped Hinata save her position in her clan. Now, Naruto not only forced Sasuke to acknowledge him but had actually surpassed him n something. "I'll show you, but you'll have to teach me something in exchange."

"What do you want to know?" Sasuke was willing to deal with Naruto. Anything to advance one step closer to Itachi.

"You have to teach me that shuriken trick you pull." The whiskered Academy student bargained with the Uchiha.

Sasuke doubted Naruto realized he was giving something far more valuable in exchange for simple advice on throwing Shuriken. However, Sasuke thought about the kind of person Naruto was. The loudmouth was always in a good mood and offering to help his classmates. He had an effect on people. Naruto's enthusiasm either drove people, like Sakura or Ami, away or drew people, like Hinata, to him. Sasuke viewed him as a curiosity. It would be enlightening to see where Sasuke's opinion of the loudmouth eventually fell.

"I guess we have a deal then."

* * *

"As Itachi-sempai said, our enemy is Uchiha Madara. He was the one manipulating the Fourth Mizukage. Madara is also behind many other injustices." Namikaze spoke in support of Itachi. "Madara exists to maintain the cycle of hate. "

"Wait, I recognize that name now. Are you trying to tell us that our enemy is the man who fought the Shodai Hokage at the Valley of The End? That's impossible. He'd be over a century old." Zabuza was now convinced Namikaze was crazy.

"Madara's survival is not impossible. I have… encountered him personally." Itachi sought to allay the Demon of the Mist's doubts.

Kisame took a step forward. "Itachi isn't the only the one to have encountered Madara. I have. It was Madara who convinced me to abandon Kirigakure."

"Then Madara was behind the Bloodline purges." Haku's tone was melancholy as he looked away. The last Yuki had never experienced hate in his life. He had experienced pain and betrayal, but never hate. The sudden swell of hate within Haku was a completely alien feeling. The only clue to his anger was a slight clinch in his jaw. "This man is responsible for creating all of us. I can see it etched into our eyes. I do not know _what_ Uchiha Madara did to you all, but I know it created a well of pain. We have to stop Madara. He has to _die._"

"It is painful, but Haku is right. I seek to break the Chains of Hatred, but as long as Madara lives, there can never be peace. Madara may be the only creature in all of existence beyond saving." Namikaze admitted with a heavy heart.

"So, when do we strike at Madara?" Zabuza was still skeptical about the truth of Namikaze, Kisame and the Uchiha's claims. However, if it was true, Madara would have to be destroyed before a new Kirigakure could be created.

"The time is coming, but there are elements in Akatsuki that must be dealt with before we can strike at Madara. I am going to seek out more allies. Itachi and Kisame will be your contacts with Pain's faction." Namikaze _commanded_ the assembled rogue shinobi.

"The sooner the better." Zabuza sneered. Namikaze chose to ignore Momochi's tone. He nodded once to Haku, Itachi and Kisame before disappearing into the forest.

Kisame and Zabuza glared at each other for a while. The former Swordsmen of the Mist placed the blame for the collapse of that proud fraternity at the other's feet.

"Until we are ready to strike at Madara, you two will have to maintain hidden. My clan possessed several hidden strongholds from before the founding of the Shinobi villages. You will remain there." Itachi spoke decisively and prevented the two former Mist

Haku looked to Zabuza who only shrugged his shoulders. At least they wouldn't have to worry about Hunter-nins.

* * *

The Hyūga tutors were always harsh with Hinata. As the heiress, the old men held her to a much higher standard. They bemoaned her lack of aggression and precision. The only area they could not fault Hinata in was her agility. Hinata was a talented defensive fighter.

Unfortunately, the Jūken was not a defensive style. It was an unrelenting style. Hinata was far too hesitant to ever truly master the style.

Thus, her current performance was an out-of-context problem. Hinata was not only attacking, but attacking aggressively. She was using her natural agility to probe Hotaka's defenses. Hinata did not hesitate to land several decisive blows.

Hijame rose to his feet. "The match has concluded. Hinata-sama is the victor." The aging tutor said evenly. He dismissed both combatants. After waiting several moments, he exited the dojo. Hijame came to a halt outside of Hiashi's office.

"Enter." The cold voice of the Hyūga Clan Head ordered. Hijame obeyed and bowed to his clan's leader.

"Hiashi-sama, there has been a… development with your eldest." Hijame reported while avoiding calling Hinata Hiashi's heir. The clan head had not stripped Hinata of her birthright, but Hinata's position was perilous.

"I do not wish to hear of her latest failure." Hiashi continued with his paperwork. His voice clearly demonstrated his lack of interest in Hinata.

"My lord, Hinata defeated Hotaka today." Hijame kept his voice even. It was difficult to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Hinata has not emerged victorious in a spar in several months. This… victory is likely a fluke. However, I will be informed of the results of her next spars." Hiashi finally made eye contact with Hinata's Jūken instructor.

Hijame bowed. "As you wish, Hiashi-sama." Hiashi dismissed the tutor.

_I wonder if she will cease to be an embarrassment. _Hiashi thought idly. This situation demanded careful observation.

* * *

Naruto unlocked his door and strolled triumphantly into his apartment. Today was going very well. He hadn't felt this confident in weeks. Naruto knew he would feel even better after a conversation with Yamato. The boy entered his kitchen and started to prepare his dinner.

"How am I supposed to contact Yamato? It's not like I can simply say his name three times and he'll appear." Naruto mumbled to himself.

"It's actually four times." Naruto jumped at Yamato's voice. He spat out a curse and turned to face the ANBU.

"What the heck was that?" The boy sputtered.

"You said earlier you needed to speak with me. I overheard you while I was on my patrol." Yamato took a seat.

Naruto shrugged. _I really shouldn't be surprised. He's ANBU. _"Okay. I, uh, need to ask you about some things."

"Let me guess, Hinata?" The ANBU asked with a smile.

The boy blushed furiously. "Yeah… I came back because she…" Naruto remembered the nightmare from the night Namikaze arrived and shuddered.

"Is your attraction to Hinata your own, or is it Namikaze's?" Yamato questioned Naruto. He wanted Naruto to have his own life. The merging process concerned the once and future ANBU captain.

"Both." Naruto said before tearing into his instant ramen. "She's the kindest person I've ever met. I can tell that Hinata-chan respects me as a person. She's also got this determination I've… I've never seen in anyone before. So, yeah, **I **like her. Then again, I can feel Namikaze's love for her. His is a bit different. It's… sad and… I can't think of the word. You know that feeling when you hold something up and can't imagine it being flawed?"

"Namikaze has an idealized memory of Hinata." Yamato provided the word Naruto was looking for. _I cannot blame Namikaze. That moment was so traumatic. _

"I've got another question…" Naruto trailed off has he stirred his ramen.

Yamato smiled in an attempt to reassure Naruto. "Ask away, Naruto."

"In the future, before things went south, did I have more friends than just Hinata-chan?" The boy asked hopefully.

"You had many friends, Naruto. In time, you will become a famous and respected ninja." Tenzō assured Naruto.

"Awesome!" Naruto pumped his fist. "Do you want some Ramen?"

The ANBU chuckled. _Uzumaki Naruto, never change._ "Thank you."

Naruto got up and pulled a few cups of instant ramen from his cabinet. "I know ANBU missions are secret and all, but can you tell me about some of your missions?"

Yamato grinned. "I can't tell you much, but I think I can share a few stories. There was this one A-rank mission to the Land of Tea…"

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the delay. I recently had Exams and the like. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I would also like to thank Chewie Cookies for beta'ing this chapter.

Please continue the beyond awesome review response!


	7. New Awareness

In his past life, Namikaze had not appreciated Ero-sennin's lessons on espionage and field craft. In his current life, he had trouble believing how short-sighted and impatient he had been. Jiraiya had handed Namikaze the tools to find Sasuke on a silver platter. '_I was just as misguided as Sasuke it seems,' _the time traveler thought. He had focused so much on jutsus and getting stronger to fight Sasuke. Jiraiya had given him all the tools to complete Namikaze's past ambitions.

'_I won't ignore Ero-sennin's lessons this time,'_ Namikaze silently assured himself. He was calling upon every memory and shred of knowledge he possessed to track his current quarry. The time traveler was greeted by the bar's hostess. Namikaze sighed as he pushed past the under-dressed and over-excited window dressing. The girl was just doing her job and was pretty enough. Unfortunately, Namikaze had already experienced one moment of perfect beauty. The one moment he shared with Hinata after Danzō's betrayal had rendered all other women woefully inadequate. Namikaze could never look at another woman. It would be a betrayal of Hinata-chan.

Namikaze shook that painfully wonderful memory away. His time with Hinata had passed. Naruto had the opportunity now. Namikaze was living on borrowed time. The overriding goal was to lay the groundwork for true peace. In order to achieve that goal, Namikaze had to recruit Baa-chan. He would need her strength to defeat Madara and the members of Akatsuki who would not accept Nagato and Namikaze's vision of peace.

Namikaze paused. He was struck by how much he viewed himself as Namikaze instead of Naruto. There was only one Naruto, and he was in Konoha. The Naruto who had experienced so much had cast himself aside. Was he abandoning his responsibilities? Namikaze shrugged as he acknowledged that he possibly was shirking his duties. He hastily reminded himself that he was laying the foundations of a new world for Naruto and Hinata.

The memories and internal conflict were chased away by Namikaze's renewed sense of determination. His sense of purpose drove him onward. He took his place at the seedy bar. Another memory of his training with Ero-sennin floated to the forefront.

_"__Kid, booze loosens tongues as easily as torture and you don't have to get your hands dirty," Jiraiya said as he downed another drink._

Namikaze remembered how he had scoffed at his teacher. Now sitting at the bar, the refugee from the future took Jiraiya's lessons to heart. He flagged down the bartender and ordered a strong drink. Namikaze knew that with his Kyūbi-enhanced metabolism that he wouldn't get too buzzed off the drink. The other patrons at the bar would only see a young man throwing back rotgut. Namikaze's seemingly careless behavior would put them at ease and further loosen their tongues. After two more drinks, Namikaze waved the bartender over. It was a simple way to get information.

'_It worked when I was tracking down Haku and Zabuza,'_ Naruto reminded himself.

"What do you need, brat?" The bartender scoffed as Naruto downed another drink.

"I _need_ to find the Legendary Sucker. That woman owes my boss a lot of money," Namikaze grumbled.

"Ah, so you're drinking away your frustrations. Well, you're in luck that I'm such a nice guy," the young man snickered.

"My luck'll be as bad as hers if I can't get the money she owes my boss," Namikaze said while rubbing at his eyes. He had used a simple transformation to disguise his precious Byakugan. It was difficult to maintain such a transformation for very long. Luckily, Namikaze had thrown back enough hard liquor that his bleary-eyed appearance would be chalked up to drunkenness.

"There's a gambling tournament in Anamizu. The odds are good she'll be there," The bartender revealed with a toothy smile.

"Thanks," The ninja smiled in honest relief. "How about one more for the road?"

The bartender refilled Namikaze's cup with some local rotgut. The time traveler downed the foul liquid in a single shot. It was all part of continuing his deception. Observers would think Namikaze was a drunk. The truth wa,s Namikaze was doing everything possible not to taste the alcohol. He quickly put down a few ryo notes and left. The unofficial Akatsuki member was three steps out of the door before he started coughing.

"How the hell did Ero-Sennin drink that crap?"

* * *

Naruto rolled out of the way of one of Hinata's Gentle Fist strikes. He had barely dodged a few of her more aggressive strikes. Naruto couldn't believe how awesome Hinata's taijutsu style was.

'_Even a glancing hit causes the area to go numb. Imagine if she wasn't holding back,' _the boy thought with a proud smile. Hinata had grown more confident in the short time they had trained together.

Hinata easily tracked Naruto with her Byakugan. The heiress used an ax kick to keep Naruto off balance. She had learned that allowing Naruto to use any ninjutsu was a recipe for a quick defeat. Hinata's focus in the most recent spars had been disrupting Naruto's hand seals. In the first few spars, Hinata had taken Naruto by complete surprise. Naruto had been…enthusiastic in his praise when he had realized Hinata's strategy.

"Here goes!" Naruto shouted fiercely as he attempted to press the attack. He had just finished his combat roll and charged. The sudden shift did not surprise Hinata. She used her superior agility to dodge Naruto's elbow strike with almost trivial ease. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Hinata pouted a little as six of Naruto's Kage Bunshins surrounded her. '_How did I miss his hand seal?' _

"You were kicking my ass, Hinata-chan! You did awesome," the original Naruto was beaming as he praised Hinata.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I wish I knew the Kaiten," Hinata said while returning Naruto's smile.

"Yeah, I'd have been hosed in a second if you knew that technique," Naruto happily admitted. He dispelled all his clones, including the two lookout clones. He ran through the memories of the clones.

"I have some good news, Hinata-chan. If this had been a real fight, I probably would have died at least three times," Naruto reported his clones' observation in a chipper tone. Hinata took on a look of utter terror and she took a step back.

"Naruto-kun, I…" Hinata started to apologize. '_How can he say that is _good _news?'_ The thought of harming Naruto felt like a hand of pure ice gripping her heart.

"There's no need to apologize for winning, Hinata-chan. I **know** you'd never intentionally hurt me. This was just a spar. Besides…I could never _really_ fight you. Spar with you? I love sparring with you. Actually fight you? Never…I couldn't do it," Naruto said firmly. The thought of fighting Hinata was abhorrent.

"I could never fight you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. She was touched by how much Naruto cared. His kindness and affection melted the icy grip of her melancholy thoughts.

'_I feel so alive with you_, ' Naruto thought longingly. He wanted to tell Hinata everything, but Naruto wasn't sure if moving so fast would push her away. Naruto would never risk losing Hinata.

"Well, I think that's the last thing we have to worry about," Naruto reassured Hinata. "The only thing that stood out from my clones' memories was that you got _too_ aggressive at one point. You almost lost your footing. Granted, you're the most agile person I've ever seen, so you recovered awesome."

Hinata nodded at Naruto's critique. Her sparring partner grinned cheekily and continued. "And really, that's all that stood out other than the fact you made me wear my ass for a hat."

"You could have beaten me several times!" Hinata exclaimed. "You aren't giving yourself enough credit."

Naruto smiled softly as he sat down. "I hope we end up on the same team."

"I…I hope so too, Naruto-kun," Hinata said dreamily. "I think we would make an excellent team."

"Hell yeah, we would!" Naruto shouted and pumped his fist.

Unbeknownst to the two students, they were being observed by Hyūga Hoheto. The observer deactivated his Byakugan and returned to the Hyūga compound. Hoheto made his way to Hiashi's office.

"Enter," Hiashi ordered. Hoheto slid the door aside and entered the office.

"Reporting as ordered, Hiashi-sama," The Chunin responded while bowing. The Hyūga clan head motioned for his agent to take a seat. Hoheto graciously accepted.

"Where, with whom, and how has my daughter been training?" Hiashi questioned.

"She has been training with Uzumaki Naruto after her Academy Classes. Hinata-sama's recent training seems to be focused on disrupting her opponent's hand seals," Hoheto responded. Hiashi finished a bit of paperwork and sat silently for several moments.

"I require your honest assessment of both her training with Uzumaki Naruto and Hinata's performance," Hiashi stated crisply.

"Hiashi-sama, I was…surprised by Hinata-sama's performance. She successfully disrupted Uzumaki Naruto's use of the Kage Bunshin technique…" The Hyūga Chunin was recounting all he had seen.

"Wait one moment, Hoheto-san," Hiashi held up a hand to halt Hoheto's explanation. "How does Uzumaki Naruto know the Kage Bunshin? That jutsu is restricted to Jonin."

"I am not sure, Hiashi-sama. I will endeavor to find where the young man learned such a technique," Hoheto answered.

"Continue," Hiashi commanded.

"Hinata-sama clearly had the upper hand during the spar. There were several times during the match, that, had Hinata-sama not been restricting the amount of chakra in her strikes, Hinata-sama would have killed or otherwise incapacitated the…child," Hoheto recounted the match. He fidgeted in his chair. Hiashi noticed the discomfort in his agent and narrowed his eyes.

"Is there something else that needs to be brought to my attention, Hoheto-san?"

"The Uzumaki boy is clearly smitten with Hinata-sama," Hoheto spoke quickly. The Chunin felt his mouth go dry. Hoheto had no idea how Hiashi would react to that news.

"An academy crush," Hiashi dismissed Hoheto's concerns. "We have all had them. I will permit this interaction as long as the relationship remains platonic. Hinata's training with the Uzumaki child has, in fact, been beneficial. I believe that my eldest daughter may indeed be salvaged."

"Are there…scenarios where I may have to intervene, Hiashi-sama?" Hoheto asked.

"So long as Uzumaki Naruto remains respectful of my daughter and is not…forward, you are to simply observe them," Hiashi stated simply.

Hoheto nodded. "I do not believe respect will be a concern. The boy, due to his…situation, is a bit rough around the edges; however, it is clear that he practically worships Hinata-sama."

"As he should. Hinata may have once been a complete disappointment as a potential leader for our illustrious and indomitable clan, but she is a beautiful and refined young woman. That boy has no idea how fortunate he is that Hinata graces him with a second glance," Hiashi stated in a regal tone.

Hoheto was dismissed and left the office. As he strolled along the halls of the compound, he realized just how extraordinary the conversation with Hiashi had been.

Hiashi had spoken with pride about his eldest daughter.

* * *

"I don't know if we can trust them," Zabuza said conspiratorially. The two Kiri missing-nin were being housed in an abandoned Uchiha fortress. Zabuza had excitedly searched for Uchiha jutsu scrolls, but the dead clan had been very thorough in moving their extensive library of techniques to their massive district in Konoha. The Demon of the Hidden Mist's disappointment added to his foul mood.

"Our objectives match with those of Akatsuki," Haku stated in an attempt to placate his master.

"So Namikaze and Pain claim. I don't dispute that Uchiha Madara is a threat that must be eliminated if we are to create a new Mist," Zabuza grumbled. The Swordsman of the Mist marveled at Haku's ability to drive away his rages. Sometimes, Zabuza thought of Haku as his own son. Zabuza would never admit that sentiment to anyone but himself.

"We do not need to permanently ally ourselves with Akatsuki. If our goals diverge after the defeat of Madara, we can simply walk away. I do not recall us joining Akatsuki," Haku explained. Zabuza was shocked. Haku had seemingly bought into Namikaze and Pain's vision.

"I'm a bit surprised Haku. You sounded like you believed in Pain and Namikaze's ideals," The Demon of the Mist pointed out. Haku looked away for a moment.

"Their vision…intrigues me. I feel as though I have some connection to Pain and Namikaze," Haku admitted.

Zabuza snorted dismissively and wandered deeper into the Uchiha stronghold. He was pleased that Haku had not become enthralled by the ideals of Akatsuki. The pair had always sworn to reform the Hidden Mist. The rest of the world wasn't part of the plan, but Madara's faction of Akatsuki was a threat that couldn't be ignored.

'_My ideals can't become twisted again. I won't let Namikaze or Pain play me like Yagura did,_' Zabuza's thoughts were defiant. However, a small voice in the back of his head was questioning if Zabuza had the strength, as a ninja and a man, to stand apart from the raw power of conviction possessed by the mysterious leaders of Akatsuki.

* * *

Naruto was glad he was a bit winded. His heavier-than-usual breathing could easily disguise the occasional sigh. Naruto had several weighty issues on his mind. First, there was the ever present specter of the merger with Namikaze. Naruto had no idea what Namikaze was up to. That worried Naruto.

'_I'll talk to Yamato later ,_' Naruto mentally assured himself.

Naruto had sent Shadow Clones out nearly every night to simply observe the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Naruto had been disgusted by what he had uncovered. The Uchiha Massacre had done more than destroy Konoha's largest and most prestigious clan. It had also destroyed the Konoha Military Police. The vacuum created by the massacre allowed Konoha's criminal element to flourish. Naruto had never given much thought to Konoha lacking a police force. He had always been focused on becoming strong enough to be Hokage. Naruto couldn't remember a time, before Namikaze's arrival of course, where he had paid attention to anything that didn't immediately concern him. His new awareness was both a gift and a curse. It was a gift because it led him to Hinata-chan.

'_How long would it have taken me to notice her if Namikaze hadn't arrived?__'_ Naruto thought with a shudder. If it wasn't for Namikaze, Naruto would probably still be chasing Sakura. Naruto still thought Sakura was pretty, but Naruto realized he only pursued Sakura for the attention. Worse, Hinata would have simply faded into the background. What would have happened to her if Naruto hadn't helped her?

Naruto froze in place as an image of Hinata coughing up blood invaded his mind.

"No…no… no," Naruto whimpered as he gripped the sides of his head. It was clearly another of Namikaze's memories. Why did Naruto only see the traumatic memories? Why were their never any happy memories? Where was Iruka-sensei? Where was the Old Man? Where was a memory where Hinata-chan was not being harmed?

Naruto shook off the curse of his greater awareness. He wasn't sure if being caught unprepared for Namikaze's memories or the borderline lawlessness in Konoha was worse.

'_I need some answers,_' Naruto thought after a deep breath. The Hokage Tower grew taller as Naruto approached it. Naruto hadn't planned on visiting the Old Man. In fact, he hadn't even thought about visiting the Hokage since the incident with ROOT.

'_Wait…does Danzō have something to do with not rebuilding the police force? All this crime can't make the Hokage look good,_' Naruto mulled over his new theory. Danzō encouraging lawlessness as a way to make the Third look bad wasn't too much of a stretch to Naruto. Naruto had accepted two of Namikaze's statements completely. First, he believed Danzō was a threat. Naruto had never encountered the man personally, but the boy already hated Danzō completely.

Second, Naruto believed that Hinata cared about him. Naruto didn't know how badly Namikaze's revelations would have broken Naruto without the knowledge of Hinata. She completed Naruto.

Naruto smiled as he entered the tower. It was amazing how simply thinking of Hinata could lift his spirits.

"Excuse me," Naruto asked as he reached the Third's secretary.

"Can I help you, Naruto?" The young Chunin asked.

"Um, is the Old Man busy? I need to talk with him," Naruto answered the young woman sheepishly. The woman chuckled and brushed her bangs back into place.

"I'll check for you," she said with a smile. Naruto took a seat outside of the Old Man's enormous office. A moment later, the Chunin returned. "Hokage-sama would love to speak with you."

"Thanks Aoi!" Naruto shouted as he jumped out of the chair. He rushed through the open door and shouted a greeting to the Third Hokage.

"Naruto, I must thank you for rescuing me from the horrors of paperwork," The aging Kage smiled and thanked the boy for his visit.

"Don't mention it, Old Man," Naruto said with a laugh.

"You have been a subject of many a conversation recently," The Hokage mentioned as he lit his pipe. Naruto looked up in shock.

"I haven't pulled a prank in a long time! I've been training with Hinata-chan everyday!" Naruto defended himself. Hiruzen's eyes lit up. '_Hinata-chan, is it? _'

"So I have heard. Your instructors are both impressed by the progress the two of you have made. Iruka, however, has expressed concern. Naruto, your abilities have greatly improved, yet you remain at the bottom of your class's rankings," The Hokage verbally prodded Naruto. He watched the young man squirm a bit in his seat, before pressing on. "Iruka has also noticed that Hinata has surpassed Yamanaka Ino for second place in the class and will likely become the top ranked kunoichi after the next round of exams."

Naruto didn't respond to the Hokage's statement. '_I should have known the Old Man would have figured it out.'_

"I do not know how you and Hinata discovered how the Genin teams are selected, but I will not interfere. Subtly manipulating a situation to your advantage is a valuable skill for a shinobi," Sarutobi was actually _praising_ Naruto and Hinata. The academy student removed his goggles and rubbed his forehead.

"Thanks, Old Man," Naruto spoke quietly. He had experienced a moment of absolute terror when the Old Man revealed his awareness of Naruto and Hinata's grades. Naruto nearly broke out into a cold sweat at the thought of being separated from Hinata.

"You are welcome, Naruto. I am pleased with the progress you are making," The Hokage said proudly.

"Hinata-chan and I have been working very hard," Naruto admitted quietly. Hiruzen took a deep drag on his pipe. Naruto watched the Hokage breathe out in contentment.

"Tenzō has told me as much. I do believe he has taken a liking to you," Hiruzen revealed casually.

"Yeah, Yamato is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I will have to commend him for taking the initiative for coming up with a name for use in public. That initiative is slightly…problematic, however," Sarutobi spoke calmly.

"I…don't follow," Naruto chose his words carefully.

"Do not worry, Naruto. I am not angry at either you are Tenzō. I just wish Tenzō had received permission before teaching you Kage Bunshin," the Hokage said with a sigh.

'_Yamato, I owe you several dozen!'_ "Heh, sorry about that Old Man! I was so excited about learning such a kick-ass jutsu that I forgot to mention it to you," Naruto spoke with forced over-enthusiasm. The Hokage laughed at Naruto's abundant energy. Hiruzen enjoyed spending time with the Fourth's Legacy. Naruto made him feel younger.

"I remember how excited I was when I learned my first 'real' jutsu. Naruto, would you mind sharing a few stories about your new training with an old man? I find I have a sudden craving for some miso ramen," the Third Hokage spoke warmly.

"I'm always up for ramen!"

Hiruzen laughed heartily as he watched Naruto bound towards the door. The Hokage informed Aoi of his plans and gave the young woman permission to go home early. Naruto grabbed Sarutobi's hand and practically dragged him down the stairs.

"Hey, Old Man..." Naruto looked up expectantly. "Can I wear The Hat?"

"I'm afraid you can't wear my hat, Naruto."

"Ahhh…" Naruto whined. Hiruzen laughed again. '_I believe you will change the world, Uzumaki Naruto.'_

"You can tell me about your training with young Lady Hinata," The Hokage said to distract Naruto from The Hat.

"Hinata-chan is awesome! Her Gentle Fist is freaking awesome, but the name is horrible. There is nothing gentle about it! I know Hinata-chan wouldn't go all out in our spars, but it takes a while to get feeling back in my body after she wins," Naruto spoke with undeniable pride for his friend.

"I dare say, Naruto, that you have quite the friendship with Hinata," The Hokage decided to have a bit of sport with the young man. Naruto suddenly _blushed_. Sarutobi laughed the hardest he had in a long time.

"She's…" '_Probably the love of my life.'_ "my best friend," Naruto spoke quickly and fought to get his blush under control. He was a bit embarrassed that his affection for Hinata was so obvious. Naruto wasn't embarrassed _of_ his feelings. Naruto could never be embarrassed by his feelings for Hinata. He just knew that his social status would make any public relationship…troublesome.

'_And now I'm sounding like Shikamaru…'_ Naruto thought in amusement.

"Your secrets are safe with me, Naruto," Hiruzen assured his young friend.

"Thanks," Naruto said behind a sigh of relief. "Are you sure I can't wear The Hat?"

* * *

"It's only a few weeks until the exams," Namikaze said to himself as he leapt through the trees. He was a few hours from reaching the small port city of Anamizu. Namikaze had gathered a bit of information about the gambling tournament being held in the town. It was a quiet tournament and several of the big creditors were ignoring the games. Baa-chan would flock to such laid-back games. The relative isolation would be perfect for Namikaze's purposes, as well. It would take a great deal of effort to convince baa-chan to help against Madara.

'_I wish that bastard Fox hadn't smashed the First Hokage's necklace,'_ Namikaze grumbled in his mind.

The unique sensation of a sea breeze was Namikaze's first evidence that he had arrived. He had only been to the sea a few times in his life. Namikaze had always enjoyed simply visiting the ocean.

"I just hope I don't get attacked by Orochimaru's pawns this time," Namikaze muttered to himself. He approached Anamizu on foot. If he approached the village like a shinobi, Tsunade would probably go to ground somewhere else. Time was Namikaze's enemy. He couldn't spend weeks chasing baa-chan across the Land of Fire. Namikaze still had to contact Ero-sennin and help Nagato-niisan purge Madara's influence from Akatsuki. As Namikaze approached the city's main gate, one of the guards perked up.

"Excuse me!" Namikaze fought the urge to slip into a combat mindset at the guard's outburst.

"May I help you?" Namikaze asked cautiously. The guard shifted uncomfortably in his armor. He fidgeted with his pole arm for a moment.

"You are an unaffiliated shinobi aren't you?" A second guard asked quickly. He shrank into his helmet when Namikaze turned his attention to the younger guard. Namikaze could understand his trepidation. The bandages hiding Hinata's Byakugan probably caused a bit of unease. People took comfort from being able to look another in the eyes.

"I have no connections to any of the Hidden Villages," Namikaze lied easily.

"Seems like some gods were listening! The magister will want to meet with you," The first guard blathered excitedly. Namikaze arched an eyebrow at the exclamation.

"It sounds like you're expecting trouble at your little tournament," Namikaze observed off-handedly.

"You don't know the half of it," The second guard grumbled under his breath. The time traveler shrugged at the young man's foul mood. Namikaze wasn't surprised. Baa-chan's creditors were probably tracking her and hoping to corner Tsunade in Anamizu. Hell, this whole tournament could be a trap. There was a chance the magister was hoping to recruit Namikaze to capture baa-chan.

"Well, lead the way," Namikaze said with a smile. He masked his worry with the excitement of seeing baa-chan and Shizune again.

'_Well, it's never boring when baa-chan gambles,'_ Namikaze thought with a forced chuckle.

* * *

"Does anyone have any questions about the graduation exam?" Mizuki asked while looking over the classroom.

"Um, Mizuki-sensei," Kasumi spoke softly while raising her hand. Mizuki acknowledged her with a nod. "How many Clones will we have to create?"

"In order to graduate, you must create a minimum of one clone," Mizuki announced while trying to fight down a smirk. The requirements were low and many who would not otherwise graduate would pass. However, Mizuki was confident that Naruto would fail. It would then be trivial to ensnare the demon brat in Mizuki's plot.

"Any other questions?" Iruka took the initiative and asked. Naruto strained to raise his hand as high as possible. Iruka chuckled while Mizuki rolled his eyes. "Yes, Naruto?"

"Will the taijutsu portion affect class standing?" Naruto asked and ignored the snicker of laughter that filtered through the class. Every student, save one, assumed Naruto was asking about _his_ standing. They further assumed that Naruto was harboring some fantasy of beating Sasuke and being named Rookie of the Year.

"The scores will affect final standing, Naruto," Iruka replied. The teacher shook his head when Naruto whispered 'sweet' under his breath.

"Anyone else?" Iruka asked again. There were no further questions and Mizuki dismissed the class. The older teacher swallowed back the urge to retch when he saw Naruto lean in and whisper something to the Hyūga heiress.

'_At least the demon will be dead soon,_' Mizuki growled in his mind.

In the back of the classroom, Hinata was giggling at Naruto's declaration that Iruka-sensei 'would probably fall out of his chair' when Naruto showed off his Shadow Clones.

"Naruto-kun, did Hokage-sama really say something about us knowing about team selections?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, the Old Man knows about it. The good thing is that he's actually impressed we figured it out. I don't think there'll be any hiccups."

"That's good. I couldn't bear to be on a different team than you. We…c…work well with each other," Hinata said quietly. She blushed slightly as she caught her near slip. She had just come a hair's breadth from confessing her feelings for Naruto. '_I'm not ready for _that _yet! And I surely can't confess when surrounded by my classmates!'_ The heiress thought in a near-panic. Hinata was eternally grateful that she had earned Naruto's friendship. Hinata was hoping that the friendship would become something _more_, but her lingering insecurities still held her back. She was afraid of risking her treasured friendship with the boy of her dreams.

'_One day…'_ Hinata thought hopefully.

"Heck yeah! The only people who probably work together half as well as us are probably Shikamaru and Chouji!" Naruto exclaimed proudly. He adjusted his goggles and imagined it was a hitai-ate. "The Old Man _has_ to put us on the same team!"

'_And I couldn't take being away from you that long, Hinata-chan_,' Naruto desperately wanted to give voice to his thoughts. He cursed the obsessions of Hyūga with the 'purity' of the Byakugan. Naruto knew the Hyūga would likely never accept, much less approve of, Naruto's love for Hinata.

'_Just one more thing I'll have to change,'_ Naruto thought with determination. He smiled at Hinata as the pair exited the classroom.

"Neh, Hinata-chan, do we have time for our usual training today?" Naruto asked hopefully. Hinata covered her mouth and giggled daintily. Naruto reluctantly fought the urge to _melt_ at Hinata's laugh.

"I'll always have time for you, Naruto-kun," Hinata answered with just a _hint_ of mischief. If Iruka hadn't erupted into laughter, Naruto probably would have passed out from blood loss.

'_Not even time itself could keep us apart, Hinata-chan,_' Naruto grinned as he regained control of his own mind.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Some major events are on the horizon! Please continue the incredible review response!


	8. Gambles

The boredom was crippling. Namikaze sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall. The two guards had taken him straight to the Magister, but the village leader had been meeting with the creditors providing the money for the tournament. Minako, or maybe Minori, had delivered a message from her employer that the Magister would meet with Namikaze as soon as his meetings were finished.

'_Creditors, yeah, this isn't a trap for Baa-chan _at all_,' _Namikaze thought sarcastically. The sarcasm helped ease his discomfort at simply waiting for some arrogant little man that thought he could coerce a Sanin. Namikaze had achieved so much recently. Thus, the waiting was killing him.

Literally, in fact.

Namikaze's time was very limited. He only had a year to lay the groundwork for Naruto and Nagato-niisan to bring true and lasting peace to the world. Namikaze had reviewed how he was going to approach baa-chan a dozen times. He was confident in his ability to secure Tsunade's help against Madara while still keeping everything on track for The Bet.

'_This'll work,_' Namikaze assured himself. His goal was to change as much as possible, but keep things roughly the same as his first go-through. It was a fine line to walk, but he could already see the positive changes occurring. The mission to Wave would be much smoother. Haku and Zabuza wouldn't be hired by Gatō. That would make liberating that nation from the shipping magnate and criminal much easier.

There were dozens of other benefits that Namikaze could list. The biggest were dealing with Hidan and Kakuzu early. Those madmen did not fit with the vision Namikaze, Naruto and Nagato had for the world. Monsters that killed in the name of some blood-crazy god and for a paycheck didn't have a place in the new world Akatsuki would create. Namikaze smiled at the knowledge that Asuma wouldn't meet his end at the hands of a Jashinist ritual. He remembered Shikamaru's anguish as he recalled the fight. Asuma had dominated that fight. Hidan should have been obliterated.

'_And he will be this time. That bastard won't harm Asuma-sensei, Shikamaru. I promise,'_ Namikaze swore.

Namikaze was ripped from his thoughts by a knock on the door. He barely had time to stand up before a second impatient knock echoed through Namikaze's lonely room.

"I'm not the Yellow Flash, give me a minute," Namikaze grumbled. He opened the door and was greeted by a young, slightly nervous, man. The Magister had sent a new flunky to retrieve Namikaze, evidently.

"I'm sorry, sir. The Magister wishes to speak with you as soon as possible," the flunky said quickly. Namikaze grinned as he recognized what had the young man flustered.

'_He's from the Land of Earth! His mother probably got him to behave by claiming Dad would show up and take him away if he was bad,'_ the time traveler thought with a grin.

"Of course, of course," Namikaze said with a smile. "What kind of turn-out are you expecting for this little card game you are hosting?"

"This…tournament is catering to a very exclusive clientèle. It is by invitation only," Namikaze's guide boasted.

"Hoping to ensnare some big spenders, eh?" Namikaze asked as he exited the hotel. He swallowed back a smirk as he saw the guide take a misstep. If Namikaze had any doubt that this was a trap for baa-chan, it just evaporated.

"I…believe the Magister can answer any of your remaining questions, sir," the handler responded neutrally.

"Fine by me," Namikaze answered with a smile. "So, what kind of job am I looking at?"

"The Magister will give you the details," the nameless man answered quickly. Namikaze shrugged. The rest of the walk was under a strained silence. The Land of Earth native was clearly nervous in the presence of someone who looked so similar to the Yellow Flash. Namikaze turned his thoughts to his father. It was still a complete shock that his father was _Namikaze Minato_. Namikaze had chosen Namikaze as his alias in order to honor his father. It was also a way for Namikaze himself to show the Yondaime that Namikaze forgave him for sealing the Nine-Tails within him.

'_I wonder who my mom was? Dad didn't have enough chakra to tell me while fixing the seal,'_ Namikaze thought somewhat forlornly. She must have been a beautiful and powerful woman. Namikaze just wished he could have met her like he had met his father.

"Sir, the Magister will see you now," the guide said before scurrying away. Namikaze didn't give the man a second glance as he opened the door and strode in confidently. The time traveler had faced down Orochimaru, Nagato, Tsunade, Sasuke, and Kakuzu. This civilian wouldn't have intimidated Namikaze when he was in the Academy. Now, Namikaze had the bravery of a man who had accepted his own mortality. The only real fear Namikaze had left was the fear of failure.

The Magister was a tall man, but spindly. His face was rather gaunt and Namikaze found himself recalling the Fire Daimyo. Granted, Namikaze had only seen the Fire Daimyo at a distance in his past life while training with Jiraiya. Still, the resemblance was a bit striking.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," the Magister said promptly. Namikaze smiled, both politely and in amusement. The man's voice was rather nasally. Namikaze had always found that tone hilarious.

"You are welcome, sir. I see that you are gearing up for a rather exclusive tournament," Namikaze said with a bow. The town leader smiled warmly.

"I am impressed by how well-informed you are, good sir. But forgive me, we have begun this conversation without introductions. I am Magister Sho," Magister Sho introduced himself.

"Well met, Magister Sho. I am Namikaze."

Sho squirmed in his seat. Namikaze realized that Sho was also from the Land of Earth. He had not been the best student in his past life, but Namikaze remembered hearing that certain territories changed hands following the peace treaty.

"Quite. As you know, this card tournament is very exclusive and a large amount of money will be changing hands. We require extra security," Sho explained eagerly.

"I'm game," Namikaze said glibly. He found his word choice amusing; unfortunately, Sho did not share his amusement.

"Quite," Sho repeated. "In addition to basic security work, there are other…opportunities available."

'_They have no idea who they are up against. Baa-chan is going to tear whoever goes against her apart,'_ Namikaze thought dismissively.

"I'm always interested in opportunities," Namikaze honestly confessed. Sho leaned back in his opulent chair and smiled.

"Tell me, Namikaze-san. What do you know about the Legendary Sucker?"

"Just that she loves to gamble and is the greatest medic-nin to ever live," Namikaze answered noncommittally.

"Exactly, as a medic-nin she is not a front-line combatant. We will have the advantage," Sho said overconfidently.

'_I almost feel sorry for these idiots,'_ Namikaze thought in pity. "We will indeed," he responded verbally. Namikaze just didn't mention his true allegiance. Although, he realized, he would side with Baa-chan just because of the lack of respect this village was showing to a Sanin.

"Due to the dangers of this…opportunity, we will pay you half upfront," Sho said as he rose from his chair. The Magister reached a safe and slowly and deliberately opened it. Namikaze immediately readied himself for any potential attack. The years as a shinobi had drilled an instinctive and necessary paranoia into his brain. A lifetime as a Jinchūriki had honed his paranoia to a razor's edge. Namikaze did not relax as the Magister reached into the open safe.

"Byakugan," Namikaze whispered as he flashed through the hand seals drawn from the memory remnants inherent in Hinata's eyes. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief as he confirmed the envelope was full of ryo notes. Namikaze wouldn't trust the man until he got back to his hotel room and ran some basic checks. Contact poisons on payment envelopes were the doom of many ninja over the years.

Namikaze wouldn't be one of those ninja.

Besides, Sho would probably believe he had successfully bought Namikaze when the ninja accepted the money without even double-checking the amount. Sho slid the envelope across the desk. Namikaze carefully picked up the envelope and slapped it against his other hand.

"Full," Namikaze said with an impressed whisper.

"We are sparing no expense," Sho said proudly.

'_He's definitely the type to double-cross any unaffiliated or missing-nin he hires. He's like a taller Gat__ō__,'_ Namikaze thought darkly.

"Well, that makes my life more pleasant," the ninja said with a smile.

"Excellent! The players in our little game will be arriving within the day. Feel free to enjoy the hospitality of my village," Sho finished with a flourish.

'_Yeah, definitely a trap,'_ Namikaze thought with finality. "Thanks!" the blond-haired ninja hopped out of his chair. He took two steps to the door before turning around. "There aren't any ramen joints in this town are there?"

* * *

Naruto put his head down on his desk and groaned. There were a few times he wished he didn't have to keep his position as dead last. For once, Iruka-sensei was teaching an interesting lesson. It was on the Shodai Hokage's Wood Release. _That_ was something Naruto was interested in! The Wood Release was _awesome_. Naruto had watched Yamato-sensei enough to see just how incredible that bloodline was.

'_But nooo… I can't get above a C on this test. I could _totally _ace it!'_ Naruto thought in annoyance.

Mizuki-sensei dismissed the class and Naruto turned his head and looked at Hinata. She always improved his mood.

"Is everything okay, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wish they would give us the graduation exam already. I mean, this stuff on the Shodai Hokage is actually cool, but it won't benefit us all that much in the field," Naruto explained.

"These lessons are designed to instill us with a strong bond with Konoha, Naruto-kun," Hinata explained.

'_I carry another bond…and its one of hatred with my brother,'_ a memory of an older and much darker Sasuke entered Naruto's mind. Naruto flinched and stole a quick glance at Sasuke. The two boys would never admit it, but they had actually gotten along during their short training sessions.

'_He betrayed Team Seven,_' Naruto thought darkly, before quickly slipping into confusion.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly.

Naruto looked up and smiled. "I'm hungry. Want to grab something to eat? How about Sayuri's? I know it's your favorite place," Naruto lied warmly and offered lunch as consolation. Hinata recognized the lie, but chose not to press and the couple headed out of the classroom. As they walked through the streets of Konoha, aware of their surroundings but not caring about the whispers or disapproving looks. Naruto and Hinata had each other. They were each other's rock and believed they would win the world over eventually. Naruto and Hinata sat casually at a counter.

Naruto fought the urge to sigh as Hinata pulled out the study sheet for the upcoming quiz. He just wanted to spend time with Hinata. This was about as close as they were going to get to a date until Naruto secured some social standing.

'_Or if I could prove I'm the son of the Fourth like Namikaze claimed, but most of the village would just think it's a prank,' _Naruto thought a bit glumly.

"The quiz is tomorrow, Naruto-kun. I need to score high in order to pass Sakura in the standings," Hinata explained. "You _do _want to be on my team don't you?" Hinata teased playfully. Ever since Hinata had realized her friendship with Naruto wasn't simply a dream, she had become far more relaxed in Naruto's presence. Hinata's greatest fear had been to have Naruto reject her.

That fear was revealed to be completely unfounded. Hinata, in her relief and desire to explore her expanded boundaries, became more open with Naruto. She slowly started to joke with, tease, and reveal her hopes and insecurities to Naruto. Hinata found such unconditional acceptance liberating.

"I should already realize 'Hinata is always right'. It'll make things much easier _long term,_" Naruto said with substantial emphasis on the last two words. Hinata involuntarily tensed as the possibilities of _long term_ ran rampant in her mind. "Two can play at that game," Naruto matched Hinata's playfulness as he leaned in and whispered in Hinata's ear. The moment seemed to hang in the air between them.

Hinata and Naruto reluctantly separated as they remembered _why_ they were at Sayuri's in the first place. The pair began to study for the upcoming quiz, slowly. The two prospective ninja wondered where the edge to their teasing had come from.

"The Shodai's bloodline has never been successfully reproduced," Hinata read a bit of her notes.

"Actually, I know someone with Wood Release," Naruto said after sipping on his water. Hinata looked at Naruto in clear disbelief. "Hey! I'm not lying, Hinata-chan! His name's Yamato, well at least that's the name he gave me! ANBU and all that, but he's moving in to my apartment complex next week!"

"I believe you Naruto-kun," Hinata said in an attempt to placate Naruto. She treasured his enthusiasm, but sometimes Naruto could…embellish certain details. After finishing their light meal, Naruto and Hinata left Sayuri's for their usual training ground. The two Academy students had studied 'enough' for the quiz on the First Hokage and turned their conversation to lighter fare. Naruto told Hinata about some of the stories Yamato had revealed whenever Naruto pestered him enough. Hinata happily recounted her recent sparring victories. She couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's enthusiastic congratulations. More than anything, Naruto said the four words Hinata wished her family would tell her.

"I'm proud of you," Naruto had said with a soft smile. After paying, Naruto and Hinata left Sayuri's without a clear destination in mind. They simply enjoyed the friendship they shared. The two Academy students rounded a corner and found a trio of Branch family members were approaching from the direction of the Clan compound. Naruto felt Hinata tense. In fact, Naruto could feel _fear_ rolling off his best friend in waves. He didn't care what the Hyūga would think in that moment. Naruto took Hinata's hand and gave a quick, reassuring squeeze.

"Hinata-sama," the oldest Hyūga greeted respectfully. "Hiashi-sama requests your presence for training."

The older Hyūga weren't causing the fear in Hinata. Naruto could tell that easily enough.

"Otou-sama is asking for _me?_" Hinata asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama was adamant that you attend today's training session. Though, it was a relatively recent decision," the middle-aged Hyūga confessed. Hinata felt her spirits buoyed that her father was once again taking interest in her progress. Naruto, on the other hand, was not impressed. A father shouldn't decide to spend time with his daughter on a whim. It should be an everyday occurrence.

Naruto could feel his ire rising has he figured out why Hinata was afraid. The youngest Branch Family member was staring at Hinata with a self-satisfied smirk. Naruto recognized him as Hyūga Neji, the Rookie of the Year from the last graduation.

"W-we should not keep otou-sama waiting. Please, lead the way," Hinata said graciously.

"Your politeness and kindness is a testament to your _nature_. You should hurry, so that you do not disappoint Hiashi-sama," Neji said coldly. Naruto had been trying to be polite and not glare, but Neji's tone nearly set him off. Kindness had sounded more like weakness. Neji had also put a bit of emphasis on 'disappoint'.

"Good luck with your training, Hinata-chan! You'll do awesome. I believe in you," Naruto said encouragingly. Hinata visibly brightened and followed the two older Hyūga towards the Clan Compound. A few moments passed before Neji turned towards Naruto.

"It is fitting that Hinata has gravitated toward the likes of _you_," Neji said grimly.

"What?" Naruto growled.

"Fate determines who is strong and who is weak. The weak gather together in an attempt to create the illusion of strength," Neji lectured.

_Fate? _Naruto questioned in his mind. He knew Fate was nothing but a lie, a crutch. If there was such a thing as fate, then Namikaze would still be Naruto and, the present Naruto hoped, Hokage. If Fate existed, time travel would be nothing but an outlandish plot device in a really bad novel.

There was no Fate. "I don't believe in Fate and I don't believe it determines strength. Hard work, drive, and belief in yourself make you strong," Naruto countered. Neji scoffed at Naruto's declaration. The blond-haired academy student simply stretched in response.

"It is clear that you have something else you would like to say. The set of your jaw reveals you are trying to hold your tongue. Strange, I did not think it was possible for you to show restraint," Neji taunted. He was amused by Naruto's continued attempts at restraint. "Speak your mind; so that I may show you the futility of your denials of Fate."

"Want me to, eh?" Naruto asked and Neji responded with a nod. "Fine…you're an asshole."

Neji's face had a momentary flash of anger, before the Hyūga regained control. "You truly are a fool."

"Am I?" Naruto retorted and smiled. He loved it when a plan came together.

* * *

Namikaze leaned back on his stool and sighed. It had been far too long since he had the pleasure of ramen. He was using some of the money from Magister Sho's payment. Namikaze had a Shadow Clone run the standard tests and confirmed that there were no poisons on the envelope's flap or on the bills themselves. His initial belief that the Magister would turn on him hadn't vanished. Namikaze had simply refined his estimate of _when_ the stab in the back would happen.

The 'freelance' shinobi shook off his attempts to plan for the inevitable betrayal. Namikaze already had several Shadow Clones scouting the village and learning the amount of muscle Magister Sho and baa-chan's creditors had available. Right now, his primary concern was enjoying the ramen. It wasn't Old Man Teuchi's, but it wasn't bad. Namikaze tipped the cook and started to work his way back to his hotel room.

'_Standard security for this type of high society get-together. I haven't seen any other freelancers… I should check a bar,' _Namikaze thought to himself. He then paused in the middle of the street. _'I don't want to go to another bar. Gah, why didn't Ero-sennin mention any places other than whorehouses and bars as solid places for information gathering?'_

Namikaze grumbled and started walking. After a few feet, his shoulders slumped. "That was a really dumb question."

Namikaze continued his wanderings and eventually found his way to one of the village's entrances. There, he heard a voice that warmed his heart.

"Tsunade-shishō, I don't think this is a good idea," Shizune said in a tone Namikaze recognized well. Shizune had probably been trying to warn Tsunade for weeks about this 'tournament'.

"This is a small out-of-the-way tournament. We'll play a bit, win big, and be gone before my creditors know I'm even here. Now! Let's find some saké!" Tsunade said jubilantly.

Namikaze sighed. It looked like he would be going to the bar after all.

* * *

"You cannot defy your Fate," Neji reiterated. "You may struggle all you like, but in the end Fate has decided the course of your life, your strength and your ultimate end."

'_I really have to contact Namikaze. I have to get that proof,'_ Naruto thought to himself. "Do you remember why I failed to graduate with you?"

"You are incapable of creating even a simple Bunshin. I have never seen anyone with such laughable chakra control," Neji answered. "Despite all your attempts, mastering that technique will be forever beyond your reach."

"It sucks to admit this, but you're probably right. Hinata-chan has been helping me with Chakra control, but I haven't made any progress with the Bunshin," Naruto confessed. Neji smiled and was about to drive another point home when Naruto looked up. "But you know what I _have_ learned?"

"Enlighten me," Neji scoffed.

"It's amazing what you can do with Shadow Clones, tree walking, and a distracted opponent," Naruto's voice said from _behind_ Neji. The Hyūga genius quickly activated his Byakugan and saw that a second Naruto was less than six feet away.

"How?" Neji asked in complete disbelief.

"It's simple. I _worked_ for this. I won't lie, I had some help. Yamato-sensei taught me the Shadow Clones, but I train every day to discover all the uses of this kick-ass jutsu," Naruto half-confessed. He did not reveal the full truth and used the cover story Yamato had fed the Hokage.

Naruto could see the shock on Neji's face. The Jinchūriki was thankful Neji had been thrown so far off-balance by Naruto's ploy. "I'll see you around, Neji."

Neji watched as both the Kage Bunshin and Naruto faded from his sight. The Hyūga teen's mind was reeling. If Naruto had wished it, the Kage Bunshin could have plunged a kunai into his back. Neji had been so blinded by his arrogance and his foolish dismissal of Naruto that he had failed to maintain awareness of his surroundings. Neji had _failed_ as a ninja in that moment while a _failure_ had succeeded beautifully. That 'failure' had also mastered a Jonin-level technique in a maddeningly short time. Naruto was so casual in his use and, to be frank, mastery of the Kage Bunshin that he referred to the technique by its _informal_ name.

'_How could I, with these eyes, have failed to see the world around me so completely?'_

* * *

"You are dismissed, Kazue," Hiashi commanded crisply. The young Cadet Member rose shakily to her feet. Kazue bowed nearly perfectly and profusely thanked the Clan Head for the honor Hiashi had bestowed upon her. Hinata maintained perfect posture and the expected Hyūga stoicism. She resolved to find Kazue and speak with her. Hinata was horrified that Kazue would be punished for some perceived flaw.

Hinata could never outwardly show such concern in front of her father, however. Hiashi had often stated such sentimentality was a 'weakness'. So, Hinata would wait and follow the traditional forms. She would wait until her father spoke before speaking. She would sit when a seat was offered and she would maintain perfect posture despite the protests of her body.

She would make him proud.

"Hinata…" Hiashi finally spoke. Hinata tightened her posture and stood proudly. "I am pleased by your recent improvements. Your Jūken requires refinement, but the _hesitation_ that crippled your style is fading away. This newfound boldness suits you and your station."

Hinata subtly swallowed back her shock. It took all of her self-control not to cry. Her father had finally complimented her. "Thank you, Otou-sama," Hinata responded formally. Hiashi simply nodded.

"Your position as heiress has many demands," Hiashi continued as if Hinata had never spoken. Hinata did not mind. Her father had acknowledged her as heiress. Hinata had not heard those words in nearly six years. "One of these demands is the company you maintain. Your every action, acquaintance, and word is a reflection of the Hyūga Clan. Hinata, you must carefully consider all of your social interactions. There are…many in your academy class who are not worthy of your attention."

The pride that had been swelling in Hinata's heart now had competition. Worry had seeped into her heart.

'_I'm finally beginning to achieve my dreams and now my father is hinting I will eventually have to choose his approval or Naruto-kun…'_

"I…understand, otou-sama," Hinata responded neutrally.

"Today's training has been enlightening. You are dismissed, Hinata. I expect you properly attired for dinner. Ensure you choose your Cadet Attendant carefully," Hiashi said with a perfectly controlled voice and in a perfectly controlled stance.

"Of course, Otou-sama," Hinata said with a bow. Hiashi was the first to leave the dojo, as per tradition. After taking a moment to calm her racing mind, Hinata exited the dojo. Hiashi had never permitted Hinata to 'take' a Cadet Attendant before. Hinata, truthfully, did not like the tradition. It was the further, to be blunt, enslavement of a part of the Hyūga Clan. Hinata was well aware of the great honor the Attendant would receive, but she could not accept that being a personal slave was an honor.

'_I have to speak with Naruto-kun,'_ Hinata thought resolutely. _'I have to speak with someone I can trust.'_

* * *

"I can't believe the disrespect," Namikaze scoffed. He had enough faith in Tsunade to not be furious. The blatant disrespect was grating however. There were only two other freelance shinobi in the room. Namikaze almost felt sorry for the idiots. If the timelines matched up, baa-chan and Shizune probably leveled the town in a few minutes. Namikaze just hoped baa-chan was sober enough at the time to loot Magister Sho's office.

"Congratulations, Tsunade-sama. You win the pot," a Dealer exclaimed. Shizune and Namikaze immediately went pale.

"I…won?" Tsunade asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you won quite handily, my lady," the Dealer said uncertainly. Namikaze could understand his confusion. He didn't know baa-chan like Namikaze did. Tsunade only won bets or at gambling when things were about to head south.

"This…isn't good," Shizune groaned. Namikaze silently agreed as he put down his drink.

'_The only way this could get worse is Magister Sho showing up and giving a smug speech,' _Namikaze groaned. Across the room, the doors were thrown open. Magister Sho entered the room flanked by two guards. Namikaze buried his face in his hands and sighed.

"It will, however, be good for all Tsunade-sama's creditors," Magister Sho said with an arrogant smirk.

"Shizune, if you say 'I told you so', I won't speak to you for a week," Tsunade grumbled. Shizune nodded in agreement.

"I promise, Tsunade-sama," Shizune promised. Tsunade sighed and downed her last bowl of saké.

"We are willing to be reasonable, Tsunade-sama. I am _sure_ you have _something _of value that will placate your many creditors," Sho said offhandedly. Shizune and Namikaze knew immediately what _something_ Sho meant. There was no way Tsunade would hand over her grandfather's necklace.

"Shizune! We're leaving," Tsunade announced hotly. The Slug Sannin rose to her feet. Shizune quickly followed her master and dearest friend. Magister Sho was shaking his head as if disappointed. Namikaze was struck by a memory of Mizuki at his most condescending.

"I am afraid that we must insist you stay. The debts you have accrued must be…settled. If you would be so kind as to follow our three quality ninja…" Sho said haughtily. The two Chunin moved from their positions eagerly. Namikaze took a deep breath and rose to his feet.

"Alright boys, drop the henge," Namikaze said suddenly. Magister Sho, Tsunade, Shizune, and the two Chunin whose names Namikaze hadn't bothered to learn each had very telling reactions. Magister Sho looked completely confused at Namikaze's outburst. The two Chunin freelance, probably missing, ninja didn't have _time_ to react. Shizune used her Poison Mist technique to reduce the closest enemy ninja to a convulsing wreck. The second freelancer was knocked through several walls by one of Tsunade's legendary punches. Namikaze's Shadow Clones were untouched in the quick burst of violence. Several Shadow Clones had positioned themselves to create a cordon between Tsunade and the other guards. The positioning was not lost on either Tsunade or Shizune.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Tsunade snapped at Namikaze.

"I'm not going to attack you," Namikaze said simply. "Several reasons, actually. First, I was only paid to provide basic security. Second, you're a Sannin and I'm just a freelancer. Finally, I need to speak with you about your family's feud."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Namikaze. "My family's feud."

"Specifically, your Grandfather's," Namikaze revealed.

"That man is dead," the last Senju said with finality.

"I'll explain somewhere more…secure," Namikaze responded.

Magister Sho took a step back. "But I paid you!"

"And you set a trap for someone you had no chance of defeating. Magister Sho, you have no idea how much _better_ baa-chan is than you."

Shizune slowly started backing away from Tsunade. The Slug Princess had developed a twitch Shizune had only seen when Jiraiya and bathhouses were involved.

"What did you call me?" Tsunade asked dangerously. Namikaze chuckled nervously. He remembered a moment too late that this Tsunade wasn't the woman who would become the closest thing Namikaze had to a mother.

"I meant that in the most complimentary way possible," Namikaze, lamely, tried to assure Tsunade. "I also know where Sho's safe is."

Sho squawked indignantly as he realized that Namikaze had well and truly _betrayed _him. Tsunade weighed the mysterious stranger's words. Shizune was about to recommend that Tsunade take this opportunity to leave Anamizu.

"I will not permit you all to leave!" Sho yelled and stamped his feet.

"Shush, the adults are talking," Tsunade said after moving towards Magister Sho. The civilian wilted under the angry gaze of the Sannin. Tsunade smirked before flicking Sho in the head. Namikaze's memories from his time as Naruto flashed to the forefront. He had been on the receiving of several of baa-chan's finger flicks. Thus, Namikaze instinctively flinched as Sho was knocked violently through a window.

Tsunade whirled around and faced Namikaze. "So, where's this safe you were talking about?"

Namikaze could only smile at Tsunade's antics and Shizune's groan of exasperation. It was good to have them back.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I have been resurrected by Kabutomaru's Impure World Resurrection. Now excuse me, I have to go stall Itachi.

All kidding aside, I'm sorry for the long delay in updating this fic. I've recently gotten a job and I've gotten a _ton_ of hours. I'm also taking a class that involves 75 hours of Classroom observation. Enjoy!


	9. The Second Revelation

Hinata leaned against the side of the Academy and waited for Naruto to arrive. She had not slept well due to her desperation to simply have him listen to her concerns. Naruto's willingness to listen to Hinata's concerns and worries was a wonderful discovery. Hinata, somewhat foolishly, closed her eyes to calm herself.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, you okay?" Naruto asked with a bit of concern. Hinata's eyes snapped open, and she nodded.

'_I can't believe I just dozed off like that,'_ Hinata berated herself. "I'm just tired, Naruto-kun. F-father's training was intense…and I did not sleep well."

"Oh…" Naruto nodded. "We have a bunch of time before class starts. You can pour your heart out to me."

Hinata blushed at Naruto's insinuation. "O-okay," Hinata said quietly. The combination of fatigue and her crush on Naruto flaring up robbed her of her voice. A bolt of energy worked its way through her body as Naruto took her hand and led her off to the side. The couple sat down on a bench. Naruto didn't speak but made a Shadow Clone. The Clone sped off, and Hinata was a bit confused.

Naruto saw the confusion on her face and smiled. "Don't worry about it. The important thing is us working out whatever is wrong," Naruto said warmly.

"Well…" Hinata started, but swallowed back her words. She was trying to fight back her heart-rate. Hinata wasn't sure how to approach the situation in her Clan. Then, there was the fact that Naruto hadn't let go of her hand. "My…father was…subtle in a discussion we had about the 'social' expectations of my position."

"He considers me an uncultured barbarian and not worthy of your company, eh?" Naruto asked.

"Well…father didn't put it like _that…_" Hinata said quietly. She was worried about how she could continue her relationship with Naruto without angering her father.

"I say we don't have anything to worry about," Naruto stated definitively.

"What?" Hinata asked in shock. _'How can Naruto be so calm about this?'_

Naruto grinned and leaned against the wall. Before anyone could speak, the Shadow Clone returned with an order of tea. The Clone handed Hinata and the original Naruto a cup before dispelling.

"Can't have you falling asleep in class. There are only two people Iruka-sensei won't get annoyed at for dozing off, and you aren't one of them. But, as I was saying, we don't have anything to worry about. We'll be on the same squad soon and we'll have an official, Hokage-sanctioned, reason to be with each other," Naruto explained.

Hinata smiled as she sipped at her tea. The solution had a simple elegance that she couldn't deny. Naruto continually mentioned that the Hokage favored Naruto and Hinata's ploy to get on the same team. The odds of the Sandaime separating them were extremely low.

"I…I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. It, it's just that I've been working so hard to achieve recognition from both you and father…and when he hinted I might have to choose, I guess I panicked a bit," Hinata confessed.

"Can't blame you. We've been working really hard to make this…" Naruto squeezed Hinata's hand to emphasize his point. "work. We'll face anything that comes our way, together."

"R-right!" Hinata felt her confidence return. She had worked herself into a panic worrying about her father's words. "My training session with father wasn't all bad."

Naruto beamed. "Details! I need details!"

"Well, I spared with Kazue-san and won. Father was very impressed by my performance. He was pleased that I am no longer hesitating," Hinata mentioned before giving a brief recount of the spar. She concluded by revealing how her father confirmed her position as heiress. "After that, father told me to pick my Cadet Attendant carefully. But…I don't like that tradition. It's just a polite way of saying personal slave."

"Isn't the person you pick protected from all the crap Branch members are faced with?" Naruto asked.

"I…would still feel like a hypocrite if I chose Kazue-san as an Attendant," Hinata chewed over her thoughts.

"So, you are thinking about taking a Branch attendant?" Naruto questioned.

"I-I'd take the entire Branch family to protect them if I knew it was possible. No one should be punished, sacrificed or enslaved because of when they were born and because of a seal," Hinata said with undeniable determination.

Hinata's conviction shook Naruto. He had truly begun to like Hinata in the time they had spent together. Naruto also knew that the growth of his feelings had been accelerated by Namikaze's growing influence.

'_No, influence isn't the right word…'_ Naruto thought to himself. _'It's more like…it's more like Namikaze's memories and feelings are…filling in the blanks…no,'_ Naruto was confused. He knew _exactly_ the feelings he was trying to convey, but he couldn't put words to them.

Not even to himself.

"Hinata-chan…there's something I need to tell you…but not right now. It will take a _long_ time to explain and I know you'll probably have a ton of questions," Naruto partially explained. There was a nervousness, and vulnerability, that Hinata couldn't fail to notice in Naruto's tone.

"When?" Hinata asked gently.

"I…I will come to you," Naruto revealed.

"I will wait for you," Hinata said and took Naruto's hand in her own.

In the corner of Naruto's mind, the corner he realized was slowly assimilating Namikaze's being, he heard a distant Hinata whisper 'until the stars died'.

* * *

A masked figure sat on a long forgotten throne and grimaced behind his mask. The man had many aliases, but at his core he was No One. The man, or instrument as he sometimes preferred to think of himself, had encountered a situation out of the scope of his plans; outside of the scope of his _purpose_. No One had always anticipated the possibility of disagreement or even dissention from Nagato. It was to be expected due to the conflicting nature of Nagato and No One's ultimate ambitions.

But outright _rebellion_? That possibility had until recently been relegated to the realm of the absurd.

'_It may have once been absurd, but it is clear Nagato has changed. He will no doubt make his move to eliminate me soon. The potential damage to the Tsuki no Me cannot be ignored. The Plan still requires Nagato to synchronize with the Ged__ō__ Maz__ō__. None of the…alternatives are prepared yet,' _the figure contemplated the situation.

The organization would no doubt fracture when Nagato made his move. Konan would undoubtedly side with her lifelong comrade. The two had been family in all but blood for decades. There was likely only a single secret that existed between the pair.

The source of Nagato's Rinnegan.

'_How would dear Konan react if she knew that Nagato's greatest strength was a gift of Uchiha Madara?'_

Itachi would likely side with Nagato. Actually, there was no doubt where Itachi's decision would fall. Itachi viewed No One, or Uchiha Madara as the 'prodigy' believed the masked man to be, as a dire threat to his beloved brother. Itachi and No One both saw the essence of Uchiha Madara in young Sasuke. The thought of Sasuke succumbing to the 'despotism' of his ancestor terrified Itachi more than anything. No One knew that Itachi's actions and anti-Uchiha rants prior to the massacre had been an attempt to turn Sasuke away from the Uchiha's legacy of bloodshed and _power_. It was Itachi's fervent hope that Sasuke would reject the Curse of Hatred.

'_And like all hope in this meaningless world, it is destined to be crushed,'_ No One growled.

The others were more of a toss-up. No One knew that Hidan and Kakuzu were in Akatsuki so that Nagato could 'control' and 'direct' their murderous impulses towards 'productive' means. Hidan openly despised Nagato and only the god-like power of the Rinnegan kept the Jashinist from rebellion. Kakuzu on the other hand was ruled by money.

'_He will be the easiest to control. Money is no object and will be rendered meaningless once the world slumbers peacefully under the Infinite __Tsukuyomi__,'_ No One thought.

Zetsu was also firmly in No One's camp. In fact, Zetsu had been one of the first to embrace the goal of the Tsuki no Me. Kisame had also invested fully in the Tsuki no Me. His betrayal was even more deeply rooted in the realm of the absurd than Nagato's open rebellion had been.

'_The only wild cards are Deidara and Sasori. They have always been the least invested in the visions of Akatsuki…'_

A writhing and organic sound drew No One's attention to the base of the dais.

"Why have you summoned us? We have not yet completed our observation of the Nanabi," Black Zetsu questioned.

"I have a new mission for you. You will infiltrate Konoha," No One ordered.

"_Konoha has many tasty looking people. Will we get a meal?"_ White Zetsu added another question.

"We are not prepared to engage Konoha at this time. Rest assured, we will grind that Senju _pit_ into dust soon," No One snarled.

"Then why send us?" Black Zetsu questioned again.

"You are to ensure Uchiha Sasuke receives his **true** inheritance…**the will of Uchiha Madara!**"

* * *

Tsunade sat in Magister Sho's luxurious chair as she counted all the ryō notes she had 'liberated' from the man's safe. Shizune sat quietly off to the side. Her master's focus on the money would normally annoy her greatly. However, Shizune could see that Tsunade was stalling for time so that she could gather her thoughts.

"Well, now that we've taken care of the _important_ things," Tsunade said as she stuffed the money into one of her bags. "I'm sure you'll be _happy_ to explain the minor detail of how my grandfather's mortal enemy, whom Grandpa killed at the Valley of the End, is supposedly still alive and doing what he does best?"

"Before I explain, I have one question," Namikaze said as he sat down across from Tsunade. It was an instinctive thing. Namikaze was falling into the familiar routines he had almost taken for granted during his days as Naruto.

"I might answer," Tsunade said idly.

"Everyone knows you're Senju, so what would you consider Madara 'doing what he does best' to be?"

"Being an utter bastard! Moving on!" Tsunade snapped.

"Right, right! No need for a finger-flick!" Naruto said nervously. _'Naruto? I…I haven't thought of myself as Naruto since…I, since Hinata-chan died…'_

"Do…do you remember the organization Orochimaru defected to? Akatsuki?" Namikaze, he was Namikaze now, asked as a preamble. Tsunade nodded. "Madara has been pulling the strings of that organization. He corrupted what originally was an organization aimed at freeing Ame from Hanzo's tyranny into something…else. Nagato, the leader of Akatsuki seeks to destroy Madara and remove his influence from Akatsuki. He knows what will happen if Madara can make that organization truly into his instrument."

"That sounds like something Madara would attempt, especially without the Uchiha at his beck and call. But it's too far-fetched. My grandfather _killed_ Madara," Tsunade snapped. The thought of Madara being alive...was almost too horrible to contemplate. Uchiha Madara lived for war. If the Uchiha hadn't been as weary from the wars as the Senju, Madara never would have relented. _If_ Madara was still alive, he would no doubt be gearing up for another war. It was in his very blood.

But Madara was dead. He _had_ to be dead.

Namikaze pulled out the scroll Nagato had used to contact him during the recruitment of Haku and Zabuza. He wasn't sure if this would work, but he had to try. Namikaze channeled a bit of chakra into the seal. The astral projection of Nagato's Deva Path, of Yahiko, appeared. Tsunade and Shizune gasped in shock.

'_The Rinnegan!' _Both women thought in shock and awe.

"Is there something you require, my brother apprentice?" Nagato spoke through his Deva Path.

"Baa-chan requires further proof that Madara is alive," Namikaze pointed out. Tsunade felt a flash of annoyance at the nickname this young man had given her.

'_But there's something in this Namikaze's tone…it's almost like he truly believes I'm his grandmother. Who are you, Namikaze?'_ Tsunade thought.

"It is good to see you well, Tsunade of the Sannin," Nagato greeted in Yahiko's voice.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone with the Rinnegan," Tsunade was very suspicious of everything in this situation. The only thing preventing her from giving the signal to Shizune to start fighting their way out was how relaxed and _happy_ Namikaze was in their presence. Generally, men were drawn to her for her beauty. Instead, Namikaze was behaving as if he was in the midst of a family reunion. It made the situation very strange, and that didn't even take the astral projection of a man with the _Rinnegan_ into account.

"We met…years ago. My friends and I were merely children. I believe 'I' approached you all and begged for food. Jiraiya-sensei gave us some crackers. Orochimaru, however, suggested that you all kill us to 'save us' from the cruelties of the world," Nagato explained.

"You…you are one of the Ame Orphans! I, I remember now," Tsunade breathed.

"Who I was is not important now. The return of Uchiha Madara is what is important. Namikaze and I are gathering allies to prevent his goals from coming to fruition," Pain continued to explain.

"Madara's goals were always war and domination, weren't they?" Shizune spoke without realizing it.

"Domination…" Pain breathed. Shizune gasped as she finally realized she had spoken. "Madara's plans go far deeper than mere domination."

Namikaze shuddered as he recalled the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' Nagato-nii had outlined in the scroll his summoned creature had delivered. "He seeks to place the entire world under a genjutsu…Madara wants nothing less than to rob us of our free-will."

'_That couldn't be possible. Madara was never nihilistic, at least, not on that level,'_ Tsunade thought in a near-panic. "I'll need more proof than you've given me."

"Will you take the word of the Toads?" Namikaze asked.

"And how do you know about the Toads? _Minato?_" Shizune whispered the question. Tsunade was stunned by the young man's statement.

"I am my father's son."

Tsunade felt her entire world grow numb. "I…I had thought Kushina miscarried. Mikoto had been so devastated in her letter."

"Why would Uchiha Mikoto lie about her best friend's pregnancy?" Shizune questioned.

"There's only one person alive who we can trust to answer that," Nagato answered. Namikaze had heard the name Kushina and instinctively recognized the name of his mother. He sat silently as he focused intently on a name he had longed to learn since childhood.

"Who?" Shizune knew she had to keep the conversation alive. Tsunade needed this information.

"Uchiha Itachi."

* * *

Naruto grinned as he hit the bull's-eye with his final kunai. His aim had really improved since he had trained with Sasuke.

"Your accuracy has improved. I wonder what you could achieve if you actually applied yourself in other areas," Mizuki said in an overly friendly tone. Naruto flashed a broad grin. It was exaggerated because Naruto didn't think it would be a good idea to scowl at one of his teachers. He had heard a hint of derision in his teacher's voice. Ever since Namikaze had revealed the ugly truth of the world, Naruto had been looking 'underneath the underneath'.

Naruto really didn't get what 'underneath the underneath' meant, but he had a vague idea. Namikaze had also mentioned how valuable a skill it was for a shinobi.

Mizuki shook his head at Naruto's antics and walked away. Naruto's grin morphed from the exaggerated smile to a softer, more natural grin.

"Mizuki's right, you know," Sasuke spoke from his usual spot away from the crowd. He was sitting with his hands interlocked in front of his face.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked. Sasuke's 'outburst' had drawn the attention of several of Naruto's classmates. Naruto noticed Hinata flash him a concerned look. He stretched a bit to disguise the thumbs-up he gave to Hinata.

"Your skills have been improving rapidly. You're a quick learner. I've seen that myself when we trained together," Sasuke said with a hint of admiration.

The class was stunned. After all, why would the genius Uchiha train with the class's dead-last? A second thought quickly formed in almost everyone's mind. Why was the heiress of the Hyūga Clan seen with Naruto so much recently? There were several old rumors she had some kind of crush on Naruto, but most of those had been brushed off. Almost everyone had come to believe the rumors had been created by a classmate jealous of Hinata's privileged position. What better way to embarrass the heiress of Konoha's most cultured clan than to insinuate some kind of crush on Konoha's social pariah?

"Well, thanks," Naruto beamed.

Sasuke let an amused grunt slip. "You're obviously planning something. It's not a prank; I can tell that much, but what is it?"

"You aren't planning on losing 'Rookie of the Year' status are you?" Naruto responded to Sasuke's question with one of his own.

"Of course not," Sasuke was intrigued and allowed his tone to reflect that.

"Then you'll find out," Naruto replied with a smirk. Sasuke returned it. He had really underestimated Naruto. Sasuke wouldn't make that mistake again. The more he had gotten to know Naruto, the more determined Sasuke was to be on Naruto's team. It was obvious that Naruto _knew_ the truth of the world the Academy students were preparing to enter. Sasuke was struck suddenly by Naruto's words.

'_Why would my status as Rookie of the Year matter to Naruto? Unless…Naruto has figured out the method behind team selections! Yes, that is it! Now, I understand why Hinata has been pushing herself to surpass Sakura. Naruto has remained 'dead last' despite showing how naturally talented he is. As close as he has been to Hinata recently…'_ Sasuke couldn't believe that Naruto could be so devious.

"I'm shocked that someone I had written off as a 'dropout' has figured this all out," Sasuke said without openly revealing anything. Naruto obviously was trying to keep his discovery quiet.

"I'm shocked that someone I had thought of as a 'genius' took so long to figure it out," Naruto taunted Sasuke, but the taunt was clearly friendly. Iruka and Mizuki called an end to the class after Shino completed his throws. The order had been chosen at random, which Naruto thought was a bit odd. Usually, Iruka-sensei was a stickler for order and protocol. Something was off, but Naruto couldn't put his finger on it. He pushed aside the thought as the class headed back inside. Mizuki-sensei had probably planned this lesson and not Iruka-sensei.

Naruto chewed over the thought and blanked out Mizuki's lecture on 'the physics of projectile weapons'.

'_Honestly, when is something like that going to be useful?'_ Naruto asked himself before turning his thoughts to more important things. Namely, he was wondering if choosing to reveal the Kyūbi to Hinata was the best idea. Naruto quickly chased those thoughts away. He, Namikaze, had broken practically all the laws of time to save her. That had to be worth something.

Mizuki turned his back to write something on the blackboard. Hinata took the opportunity to ask Naruto if he was alright. Naruto simply gave Hinata a reassuring smile. The smile put Hinata at ease, but it was obvious she was still concerned.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said after Iruka dismissed the class. "I can tell how much what you want to tell me is weighing you down."

"It is pretty obvious, isn't it?" Naruto chuckled nervously.

"Your eyes tell the story, Naruto-kun," Hinata revealed.

'_I wonder what my eyes will be like after I…fuse with Namikaze,'_ Naruto wondered. The entire process would never cease to disturb him, but Naruto refused to doubt in his own character. Namikaze was fusing with _him_. At the end of the process, the person who was created would be a new _Naruto_. He could not falter in this belief. He just couldn't.

"It's just the waiting that's driving me nuts. I'll need a while to psych myself up. Then, there's the fact that you've got to train with your dad and all," Naruto explained.

Hinata saw the determination and optimism she adored so much return. _'I guess I just need to continue to have faith in Naruto-kun.'_

"Okay, Naruto-kun. H-how will you let me know when you are ready?" Hinata asked. A part of Hinata entertained the fantasy that Naruto wished to elope with her. Hinata quickly shook off that foolish fantasy. Eloping implied running away. _She_ couldn't run away from her station and responsibilities, despite how romantic it would be to elope with Naruto. Hinata also knew Naruto would never give up on his dreams. Those dreams would be rendered impossible if the two of them left Konoha.

"I'll send a Shadow Clone to get you. That way, if we are about to get caught, the clone can dispel and you can come up with a really good excuse," Naruto explained.

"If you come at sundown or at night, I could use the excuse that I am training my Byakugan's night vision," Hinata thought out loud.

"Sounds like we've got a plan," Naruto smiled, but nodded in the direction of a small group of Hyūga. Hinata managed to whisper that they were all Cadets.

"Hinata-sama, we have been sent by Hiashi-sama to escort you home. Hiashi-sama is most eager to resume your training," Hoheto said with a bow.

"Of course, Hoheto-san," Hinata responded politely. She quickly turned to Naruto. "I will see you soon, Naruto-kun. Have a pleasant evening."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. Good luck with your training," Naruto waved enthusiastically. As Hoheto and another Hyūga led Hinata away, Naruto noticed that Neji had hung back. "What the hell do you want?"

"To thank you," Neji forced out. Naruto's eyes widened in shock at Neji's statement. He would have never expected Neji to apologize for yesterday. Naruto had honestly expected Neji to try to fight him. "You made me realize just how severely my arrogance had blinded me."

"You're, uh, welcome?" Naruto responded, but had been caught horribly off balance.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you don't believe in Fate. Why?" Neji asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"I don't trust you enough to reveal that, Neji. I'm sorry," Neji obviously didn't like Naruto's answer, but he decided against pushing for answers.

"Trust must be earned," Neji said with a minimal growl.

"Then let's start earning that trust. Hinata-chan told me about the seal. It isn't just the Branch House that hates the seal. Hinata-chan hates it too," Naruto matched Neji's growl.

"She is Main Branch. Fate will dictate that she uphold that hateful practice," Neji lamented.

"You really don't know shit about her do you?" Naruto asked with a bite of anger. Neji glared at Naruto's outburst, but shook his head in the negative. "She is too kind to support that seal. Hinata-chan's too determined to be broken by 'Fate'."

"Uzumaki Naruto, you can't _possibly_ know the weight being sealed places on your very soul. A seal is more than a mark. It is a daily reminder that you will always be an outsider. That Fate has given you gifts that are rendered meaningless because of the misfortune of the order in which you were born," Neji lectured.

"I know better than most…" Naruto trailed off. He was about to take a huge risk. "Tonight, ask Hinata-chan if you can accompany her on her night vision training."

"Why?"

"You'll see. Don't ask any more questions…consider this a trust-building exercise," Naruto said and Neji couldn't help but notice a determined glint in Naruto's eyes. Neji could only nod before the two young men parted ways.

'_Who are you, Uzumaki Naruto? How can you defy Fate so easily?'_ Neji walked away as he pondered the enigma of Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

Iruka and Mizuki were ushered into the Hokage's private office by Hiruzen's secretary. The Academy teachers could tell by the secretary's stance that she was an experienced ninja. Iruka would be willing to put money down that the woman was ANBU.

"Ah, Mizuki and Iruka, it is good to see you," the Hokage stated jovially. "Please, have a seat."

Iruka and Mizuki took the seats as soon as the Hokage made the offer. Hiruzen took several puffs on his pipe before he addressed the two teachers. "We are approaching the Academy graduation. I believe it is time to begin discussing team assignments."

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" Mizuki asked politely. The Hokage nodded curtly at the older Academy teacher. "I am not sure if we will have enough graduates to create full teams."

"You doubt Uzumaki Naruto will master the Bunshin in time to graduate," Hiruzen stated a fact. There was no hint of a question in the Hokage's voice. Iruka didn't hide his frown. He had watched Naruto training in some very advanced chakra control exercises, but the boy still couldn't create a single Clone.

"I am afraid Naruto has utterly failed to produce a single viable Bunshin," Mizuki interrupted Iruka's thoughts.

"He hasn't utterly failed! Naruto _has_ made a great deal of progress since he started working after class with Hinata and Sasuke. It just hasn't been enough. I _want_ Naruto to graduate more than anything, but I couldn't graduate him in good conscience right now. I am confident he'll be able to pass next exam. I…I just don't think he'll have the Bunshin down in time for this graduation," Iruka explained quickly.

The Hokage chuckled. "I do believe you both will be pleasantly surprised by Naruto's graduation examination. As such, we shall discuss team placement under the _assumption_ that Naruto will pass."

Iruka and Mizuki knew that 'the assumption' was anything but a true assumption. The Professor clearly knew something that he wasn't willing to divulge to the teachers.

"Hokage-sama, will the tradition of teaming the Top Kunoichi with the Rookie of the Year and the lowest-scoring graduate continue?" Iruka asked. He was beginning to suspect the reason for this meeting. The Hokage was dictating his preferences for team assignments. Iruka saw Mizuki tense out of the corner of his eye.

'_Why is Mizuki so worried about that tradition?'_ Iruka pondered.

"Hokage-sama…if we follow that tradition…" Mizuki ground out the words.

"I am aware of the arrangement that would be created," the Hokage said evenly. "I am also aware of a great deal. For example, I am aware that Naruto now has knowledge of his burden."

"He…Naruto knows?" Iruka whispered. "Why hasn't he said anything?"

"Naruto likely doesn't wish for the knowledge of the Fox to change any of his relationships. We must foster such connections. Naruto's bonds will ensure he is bonded _to the village_. This is why we must partner Naruto with his friends, Sasuke and Hinata," the Third Hokage explained sagely.

"My lord, should we put Naruto with two of Konoha's most promising shinobi?" Mizuki struggled to contain his horror at the thought of Naruto, whom he viewed as the Kyūbi reborn, with the hope of the Uchiha and the Hyūga heiress.

"Who better to put Naruto with?" Hiruzen countered. "I want to make this exceptionally clear. The information I am about to reveal is an A-rank secret. You are forbidden from revealing this information to anyone without my expressed written consent."

The Academy instructors nodded in agreement. They did not speak, because the Hokage had given no hints he wished for their input.

"Hinata's Byakugan will allow us to observe the condition of Naruto's seal discretely. Then there is the added security of the team's sensei and Sasuke."

"Who are you planning on having instruct Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"Hatake Kakashi," Hiruzen said as he tapped his pipe on the simple ashtray on his private desk.

Mizuki nodded. "A fine choice. The Hyūga will be pleased that such an elite Jonin is going to be training the heiress. Sasuke-sama will also benefit from the arrangement."

Iruka noticed a subtle shift in the Hokage's posture. _'He thinks Mizuki is being overconfident and he's _amused_ by it. What is the Hokage getting at?'_

"Hokage-sama, how will Sasuke and Kakashi-san add security for Naruto?" Iruka questioned.

The Hokage rose from his chair and began to pace. Mizuki immediately became nervous. Iruka, however, was utterly focused on getting his answer. "I am upgrading the secrecy of this meeting. It is now an S-class secret. You are aware of the provisions of S-class Secrets. The Fourth Hokage's seal prevents the Kyūbi's chakra and will from overwhelming Naruto in most circumstances. However, Naruto can access the Kyūbi's chakra when his life is in danger or his emotions are brought into line with those of the Kyūbi. The Sharingan has the ability to suppress the Demonic Chakra. If there were to be a situation where Naruto were to lose control, Kakashi, and Sasuke once he awakens the Sharingan, will be able to force Naruto back into control."

"There is more to this than simply the usefulness of Hinata and Sasuke's Dōjutsu, isn't there?" Iruka found his voice first. Mizuki was still processing the Hokage's revelation.

"Naruto will need true friendships if he is to reach his potential," the Hokage said in a placating tone. Iruka nodded. He was still a bit numb from everything he had heard. "Do either of you have any further concerns about Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata's team?"

Mizuki and Iruka shook their heads in the negative. The discussion shifted to other prospective teams. There was some heated discussion about which team Haruno Sakura would be placed on. However, the Hokage intervened and declared that these were merely preliminary discussions. The Jonin-sensei would have an opportunity to view the graduates' information.

'_This meeting was never about all the graduates. It was only about the Fox. Why?'_ Mizuki nearly thought out loud.

"I thank you for your time. This was a very productive meeting," Sarutobi said in dismissal.

Iruka was the first to rise from his seat. "I am glad that I could be of assistance, Hokage-sama."

"Iruka, your connection with the students is incredibly valuable. I am proud that you do such a wonderful job instilling the Will of Fire in the future ninja of Konoha," Sarutobi said with complete sincerity. Iruka smiled as he bowed in thanks. The younger teacher left quickly.

Mizuki waited until the door shut before rising from his own seat. "Hokage-sama, may I ask a question?"

"Of course, Mizuki," Hiruzen grunted as he refilled his pipe.

"There is another reason for Naruto's team placement, isn't there?" Mizuki asked. He knew that the Hokage had spoken nothing but the truth during the meeting. The teacher also knew that the Hokage had been holding back a bit of the truth.

"Indeed," Hiruzen said before lighting his pipe. "Naruto's status as the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi makes him a powerful asset to the village. By placing him on Team Seven, we are instilling in him a strong connection, and _loyalty_, to two of Konoha's most powerful clans. Team Seven will serve to bind Naruto to Konoha. Naruto is a wonderful child and fully loyal to the ideals of Konoha. However, we must take extra care to ensure that he remains bound to Konoha's service. Mizuki, I cannot reveal the details, but there are many forces both within and outside of Konoha's walls that seek to turn Naruto against us. We cannot allow this."

Mizuki was stunned. _'What had I been thinking? I may hate the Fox, but I had never thought along these lines! If it is true…'_ "Naruto is a weapon…" Mizuki breathed out his final thought.

"That is not entirely true," the Hokage said with an edge that sent a shiver down Mizuki's spine. "Though, it is not entirely false either."

"Very well, Hokage-sama," Mizuki said quietly. He would need time to think. The Hokage's words had shaken him slightly. Mizuki still hated the Fox with all of his being, but he had never considered _using_ the Fox in that manner. "I shall take my leave then, Hokage-sama."

'_The Fox will probably die on a mission, and his death will doubly benefit Konoha. Perhaps I should not have doubted the Hokage so completely,'_ Mizuki's thoughts wandered along the many possibilities.

* * *

Naruto stopped at a street corner and groaned. _'Why couldn't I have asked Hinata-chan to skip class with me? I could have just told her then and there and gotten through all this damn waiting!'_ He swallowed back a scream as his thoughts reached their next destination. _'And now I have to tell _Neji!_'_

"Naruto."

The sound of Sasuke saying his named snapped him back to reality. "Huh? What is it?"

"How did you find out?" Sasuke asked. Naruto took a second to calm down and fall back on the excuse he had worked out with Yamato-sensei.

"Well, I was planning on pulling a prank to get out of that history quiz before the last graduation exam. I was trying to sneak into the Academy, but heard Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei talking about something. I listened in and found out how some of teams were made," Naruto lied in explanation.

"I'm not surprised. You always seem to be sneaking around," Sasuke commented. He had a feeling Naruto wasn't telling the full truth. It was just that Naruto had told _enough_ of the truth that Sasuke couldn't tell the truth from the half-truths and lies.

"So, what's up?" Naruto asked conversationally.

Sasuke blinked a few times. Once again, he had underestimated or misread Naruto. He had always thought Naruto viewed him as only a rival. Naruto being so friendly was not what Sasuke had ever expected. "Uh, I was going home to complete the assignment."

Naruto made a dismissive noise and waved off Sasuke. "And when will that come in handy in a few weeks? How will knowing the math behind your shuriken throw help you? I say just make sure you can hit the dang target. It'd be so much cooler if they could show us how to mix chakra in with our shuriken."

"That would be…cool," Sasuke admitted. "That sounds like an advanced technique, though."

"Probably is, but you gotta admit…it'd be _really_ cool to show off," Naruto beamed.

"Yeah, sure," Sasuke agreed. "It might be something worth looking into."

"Hey, I'm going to grab some ramen from Ichiraku's. Want to tag along?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets. Why should he? Then again, why _shouldn't_ he? If he had learned anything from observing Naruto over the past few days, it was that the 'dead last' would suggest some kind of training half-way through the meal. It was an easy decision. Naruto had pushed Sasuke forward over the past few days. Sasuke had felt he was finally making progress towards catching Itachi. They were small steps, to be sure.

'_But even small steps forward are better than none,'_ Sasuke declared to himself.

"Sure," Sasuke said with a shrug. The two made their way to the Ichiraku stand. Naruto spent a good portion of the walk complaining about how boring some of the academic lessons were. Sasuke, however, was observing the undisguised shock on the faces of civilians.

Sasuke ignored them. He had made the decision to associate with Naruto. Their approval, or lack thereof, would not sway his decision. Eventually, they reached a small food stand. Naruto happily pushed aside the curtain.

"Hey, Old Man Teuchi!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke was far more restrained in his entrance.

"Hello there, Naruto. It looks like this has been a week of firsts! You've already brought your girlfriend and now you're bringing one of your other friends to meet us," Teuchi greeted warmly. Sasuke watched the interaction cautiously. The last Uchiha noticed Naruto blush and look away. However, that was not the most striking observation for Sasuke. Teuchi had an uncanny resemblance to Sasuke's Uncle Teyaki. The two men had very similar personalities. Teuchi and Teyaki both were encouraging and jovial.

It was painful being around Teuchi. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to run away. The terrible void in Sasuke's heart was threatening to overcome the years of training.

"We'd like some ramen, Old Man!" Naruto said with a grin.

"I know you'd like the usual," Teuchi nodded and didn't bother to write down Naruto's order. "And what will you have?"

"Huh?" Sasuke asked dumbly. He had been so absorbed in his fond memories of Uncle Teyaki that he had nearly forgotten where he was. "A bowl of miso."

Teuchi nodded and retreated to the cooking area to prepare the meal. Naruto was chuckling to himself about something.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking…I might be getting popular," Naruto grinned. "I mean, I've been hanging out with Hinata-chan and you a lot lately."

"To be popular you have to have more than two friends," Sasuke pointed out.

"I'm your friend?" Naruto asked excitedly. Sasuke realized what he said and also that his first instinct had been to deny any potential friendship. Sasuke didn't need _friends_. He needed the shortest path to reach Itachi. Though, Sasuke admitted, Naruto had helped him a great deal. Naruto had taught him the Tree climbing Exercise and was unafraid to challenge him in physical contests. Sasuke _was_ getting stronger after working with Naruto.

"Sure, if that's what you want to call it," Sasuke said quickly. The Uchiha may have not been ready to embrace Naruto as a friend, but he wasn't opposed to the idea. "Speaking of what you want to call it…"

"What is it?" Naruto asked as he watched Teuchi make the ramen.

"So, how often do you bring Hinata here?" Sasuke went straight for the jugular. Naruto immediately started sputtering an explanation. Sasuke couldn't understand what Naruto was saying. The other boy was speaking so fast that any comprehension was impossible. Sasuke wryly noted that the only way Naruto would have been covered in a more vibrant shade of crimson is if he _actually_ had gone for the jugular.

Naruto only paused to take a deep breath before continuing his incomprehensible explanation. Sasuke heard a strange noise in the midst of Naruto's rambling. It took him a moment to recognize his own laugh. It had been years.

'_How can you forget your own laugh? Did Itachi destroy me so completely?' _Sasuke thought. He looked up when he heard Teuchi clear his throat.

"You used the g-word didn't you?" the ramen cook asked between laughs. Sasuke forced a smirk to his face and nodded. Once again, he was struck by how much Teuchi resembled Teyaki. "I don't think that'll ever get old."

Sasuke felt a bit of genuine amusement make its way into his smile. Teuchi put Naruto and Sasuke's orders down before turning his attention to other customers. Naruto calmed down enough to demolish one of the ramen bowls. Sasuke took a tentative bite and was impressed. All restraint flew out the window as he ate quickly. Sasuke _had_ been hungry after all.

"Naruto, want to try answering my question in a language human beings can understand?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto took a deep breath. "I don't bring Hinata-chan here as my girlfriend."

Sasuke gave Naruto a disbelieving look. Naruto deflated a bit before resuming speaking. "I'm some nobody. I don't have a respected clan name like you, Ino or Kiba. If Hinata-chan and I started being out in the open with things, the Hyūga that always seem to follow us when we aren't in the Academy would probably snatch her and lock her away in the Hyūga compound."

Naruto's explanation made sense. Sasuke remembered his father talking, ranting really, about Uchiha dating outside the clan. Fugaku had never been as adamant as the Hyūga about 'blood purity'. Instead, Sasuke's father had been concerned about increasing the power of the Uchiha within the village. The Clan preferred any relationship between a Uchiha and an outsider to ultimately end up strengthening the Clan. Fugaku and the high-ranking clan members were adamant in opposing any union with the other major clans.

Unless it was carefully calculated.

Sasuke remembered a plot that would have married Sasuke's cousin Yori to the Kurama heir. Sasuke's memories were fuzzy, a side-effect of Itachi's Tsukuyomi, but Sasuke believed it had fallen apart due to the accident that killed the Kurama clan head and destroyed all the Kurama's records.

However, Sasuke realized that Naruto was unaware of a very important historical detail.

"What are you talking about? The Uzumaki name is very respected," Sasuke said.

"Really? Then how come a ton of people call me _that Uzumaki brat_?"

"People have short memories, especially civilians," Sasuke said dismissively. He did not have a short memory. Sasuke remembered the past very well and not simply the nightmare that had haunted him for years. Sasuke was a student of his clan's history. He knew that he had to remember. He had to bear the history of his clan so that the Uchiha would never truly be extinguished.

"Then why do you think the Hyūga are so pissed at the idea I might ask out Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked and Sasuke didn't miss the slight pleading edge in Naruto's voice.

"You have no social standing, manners or solid political connections," Sasuke bluntly explained.

Naruto groaned. "That's it? I thought it was something beyond my control," Naruto appeared more upset at Sasuke's tone than the news.

"You really are unflappable aren't you?" Sasuke shook his head.

"Un-whata-what?" Naruto mumbled. Sasuke growled 'never mind' under his breath and finished eating.

"It means…" Sasuke began to explain when the curtain opened up. Iruka stepped into Ichiraku and smiled nervously at Naruto.

"I knew I'd find you here, Naruto. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Iruka said quietly. The two young men could tell something was up.

"Nah, Sasuke was just telling me that I'd probably get girls to chase me around like he does if I wasn't a total barbarian," Naruto joked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto," Sasuke said as he paid for his meal.

"See you later, Sasuke," Naruto responded. Iruka's smile lost some of the nervousness as he watched the exchange.

"Can we talk, Naruto?" Iruka asked after Sasuke left.

There was something in Iruka's tone that set Naruto on edge, but he nodded. Iruka was one of his most precious people, and Naruto hated telling him no. Naruto had a feeling about the possibilities of the conversation. The fear of potential loss washed over the young man.

* * *

Hinata could barely maintain acceptable posture following her dismissal. It was also difficult to maintain acceptable decorum. Her training session had been unusually short, but several of the clan's most influential members had been in attendance. Hinata had defeated Koizumi, an older main branch boy, rather efficiently, Hinata thought in a moment of vanity. She was struggling to contain the urge to jump up and down in her excitement.

"Hinata-sama," Kazue's voice drifted from down the hall. Hinata relaxed as she saw the other girl approach.

"Good afternoon, Kazue-san," Hinata greeted her recent sparring partner.

"If I may ask, how was your spar?" The branch girl asked. Hinata heard the nervousness in Kazue's voice. The heiress had heard nervousness like that several times in her own voice.

"My spar went very well. Hideko expressed his 'pleasant surprise' at my 'poise and aggression'," Hinata recounted the Elder's words proudly.

"That is wonderful, Hinata-sama. I'm sure news of your accomplishments will reach the other members of the Cadet family," Kazue said with a smile. Hinata smiled as she noticed that the nervousness had been replaced by a mischievous pride. Hinata would definitely have to look into the reasons for that later. The conversation quickly changed to another topic.

"Kazue-san, are you ready for graduation?" Hinata asked as the two girls started to head away from the Hyūga Dojo.

"I…I feel that I am ready, Hinata-sama. Well, I know I can pass the Graduation exam…it's just…" Kazue wrung her hands together.

Hinata's thoughts immediately turned to how Naruto simply listening to her concerns had calmed her and helped Hinata find her own confidence. The Hyūga heiress decided to extend the same comfort to Kazue. "What are you concerned about, Kazue-chan?"

"As a Hyūga, even a lowly Cadet member…" Kazue began to speak after shaking off the shock of Hinata's use of the familiar honorific.

"Never say that about yourself. You are Hyūga, there is nothing lowly about that," Hinata said gently. _'I should take my own words to heart,'_ Hinata added silently.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama," Kazue took another breath to calm herself. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes before continuing. "I just feel like the whole world will depend on me when I become a ninja."

"You won't be alone, Kazue-chan. You will have the Clan to support you. More importantly," Hinata explained. The other Hyūga girl looked up in shock. What could be more important that the Clan? "you will have the support of your teammates. They will be beside you during your missions, during training, and beyond."

"Thank you, Hinata-sama," Kazue bowed. Hinata smiled and returned the bow. Kazue straightened her traditional Hyūga robes before taking her leave. Hinata found a nearby chair and sat down. She hadn't realized just how tired she was until she had sat down.

"Hinata-sama."

Hinata had nearly been asleep when the voice dragged her back to consciousness. Her eyes snapped open as her brain processed _who_ the voice belonged to.

"N-Neji-nii-san," Hinata managed to force out. It was difficult to think rationally when Neji was around. Hinata wanted nothing more than to run away. "I-is there something you need?"

"I…I may have been overly harsh with you in the past," Neji spoke cautiously.

'_May? There was no 'may'. I reached out to you and you belittled me at every opportunity,'_ Hinata thought bravely but could not bring herself to speak. Neji noted her silence and continued.

"I wish for the opportunity to try to heal the rift that exists between us," Neji continued to speak with some hesitation. Hinata could tell that for all Neji's genius that he had no idea how to approach this situation.

Hinata was also out of her depth. She wanted to heal the rift in her family desperately, but she no idea where to begin. Neji, for all his proximity in blood and distance, was practically an enigma to Hinata. This was too good an opportunity to pass up, however. "I…would like that, Neji-nii-san."

Neji nodded at the diplomatic tone. "Perhaps we could train together. I have heard that your progress has caught the Elders off guard," Neji broached the subject.

"I…would not mind that," Hinata said nervously. Once again, the caution in Neji's voice was putting her on edge. Her cousin was clearly building towards something.

"I was planning on training my Byakugan's night vision this evening," Neji said conspiratorially.

Hinata's eyes became as wide as the sea. If her eyes were the sea, the shock Hinata experienced was a cyclone. "W-were you?"

"Of course," Neji said before bowing. "And Hinata-sama…I believe that if you truly wish to see the world the one to train you would be Uzumaki Naruto."

Hinata nodded as Neji concluded his statement in a hushed tone. How did Neji know? Hinata repeated that phrase over and over. After a minute of panic, a new realization dawned in Hinata's mind. Neji had spoken about Naruto-kun with undisguised admiration.

'_Naruto-kun…what did you tell nii-san?'_ Hinata thought nervously. _'I pray that you know what you are doing.'_

* * *

Naruto and Iruka had left Ichiraku and wandered Konoha for what seemed like a very long time. The pair eventually reached a quiet place near one of the training grounds. Iruka was the first to sit down. The teacher chose a bench. Naruto simply sat on the ground. Neither teacher nor student spoke for a while.

"This is about the Fox isn't it?" Naruto asked somberly. Iruka nodded.

"Why didn't you mention anything?" Iruka asked.

"I…I'm still trying to figure everything out. I guess…I guess I'm still trying to figure everything out. I, I was actually going to tell you that I knew before I graduated," Naruto stumbled over his words.

"Naruto…you know I will do everything I can to help you. I…I have also known about the Kyūbi," Iruka revealed.

"Oh…" Naruto paused. "W…was there a reason you never told me?"

Iruka flinched at the betrayed tone of Naruto's voice. "The Hokage made a decree, punishable by death, that no one could tell you. I'm sorry, Naruto. I couldn't tell you, but I did everything I could to help you."

"Old Man Hokage must have forgotten to mention that when he was telling me about the Fox after I was nearly kidnapped by ROOT," Naruto spat out in disgust. "But…but I know you've been trying to help me. Trying to make me feel human…I…I really don't want to think about what I would be like without you."

Iruka didn't respond, but simply got off the bench. Naruto's eyes widened in shock as Iruka hugged him. "I _shouldn't_ have to try to make you feel human. You are Uzumaki Naruto and you are my friend…even if you try every day to turn my hair gray before I reach thirty."

The emotion overwhelmed Naruto and he cried without shame. "T-thank you, Iruka-sensei. That…that means the world to me."

"I'll be here for you, Naruto. But, I won't be the only one anymore. You've got great friends in Hinata and Sasuke. Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about all the times you've skipped my classes with Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba."

'_Namikaze wasn't lying. I…I really will have great friends,'_ Naruto thought ecstatically. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"You're welcome. I'd love to stay longer, but I have tests from third year to grade. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Iruka simultaneously promised and apologized.

"Yeah..." Naruto said softly. His natural exuberance returned and he looked up excitedly. "But you won't be able to speak after I pass the exam-ttabayo!"

"Naruto, I've become immune to your attempts to render me speechless. I'll bet an all-you-can-eat meal at Ichiraku that I will be fully able to speak after you pass the graduation exam," Iruka playfully challenged his favorite student.

"I'll take that bet…and I'll add something to it," Naruto doubled the challenge. Iruka gave Naruto an incredulous look and dared him to continue. "I bet Mizuki-sensei will ask something along the lines of 'is that allowed?'"

"And what will I get when I win?" Iruka chuckled.

"When I win, I want to be able to invite two people with us to Ichiraku. If a miracle happens and you win…" Naruto chewed on his lip for a moment. He never really thought it was possible to lose this bet. Mizuki was going to have the exact opposite reaction to Iruka when Naruto revealed Kage Bunshin. "I'll never pull another prank."

"Confident aren't we?" Iruka felt his concern melting away. He was relieved to see that Naruto discovering the Kyūbi's presence hadn't changed Naruto.

"Of course! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto shouted and thumped his chest.

"Never change," Iruka laughed. The outburst caused him to miss Naruto wince. "I could stay here all day, but I have a lot of work to finish. I'll see you around."

"See ya later, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto waved as his favorite teacher headed off. Naruto looked to his left and saw the Memorial Stone. He instinctively felt a connection to the Stone, beyond the honored names engraved upon the cool black stone. The weight of Namikaze's memories was very heavy around that stone. Strangely, this gave Naruto hope. This new hope filled him and he created a Shadow Clone. It was time.

* * *

The Hyūga guard gave Hinata a respectful, if incredulous, look. "You will be training…with Neji-san?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes, Neji-nii-san is a full Genin and will be able to show me some effective scouting techniques. His Jonin-sensei has not returned from his solo A-rank and he has time to teach me," Hinata explained.

The guard looked over to Neji. The Hyūga prodigy nodded. "I will see if Hinata-sama can…advance sufficiently in such a short time."

Hinata instinctively flinched at the way Neji had said 'sama'. However, she noticed that his bitterness and anger was no longer focused on her. It had by no means disappeared, but it was no longer directed primarily at her.

"Very well, I'm sure that Neji-san will…follow your orders, Hinata-sama," the guard said with as much neutrality as he could muster. Hinata bowed politely and Neji nodded. The two young Hyūga exited the Clan Compound and headed towards Konoha. After a few moments, both Neji and Hinata activated their bloodlines.

"Hinata-sama, how is your vision?" Neji asked.

"I can see the Chakra networks of many people. The physical buildings are difficult. I don't see Naruto-kun, yet. He generally stands out like a beacon when I have my Byakugan active," Hinata answered her cousin.

"Naruto possesses that much chakra?" Neji asked in disbelief.

"I was amazed the first time I saw Naruto-kun with the Byakugan," Hinata confirmed. It only took a moment for Neji to discover the truth for himself. Naruto was clearly visible to Neji's Byakugan. In fact, he was the chakra equivalent of a signal fire. Neji was about to concur with his cousin when he noticed something that froze him in his tracks.

There were two other Narutos out there.

"Naruto can produce multiple Kage Bunshins…" Neji breathed. He couldn't believe it. Neji had, during his clandestine studies into advanced techniques, discovered the incredible chakra strain of the technique allowed only the strongest ninja to make a single Shadow Clone.

Uzumaki Naruto, the village's pariah, was capable of producing at least two clones. The strain of the technique should have killed Naruto. Neji was confident there wasn't a Hyūga alive who could produce two and still be able to stand.

'_Just who are you, Uzumaki Naruto?'_ Neji thought.

The Hyūga headed toward the closest 'Naruto'. The 'Naruto' waved enthusiastically at Hinata and Neji. Hinata smiled and started to head over to 'Naruto'. Neji, however, reached out and put a hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"I'll need proof of your identity," Neji said sharply. 'Naruto' rolled his eyes.

"Man, Neji, I thought this was supposed to be a trust-building exercise," the other young man grumbled. Neji released his light grip on Hinata's shoulder and nodded.

"So it is, but as a member of the Cadet House, it is my duty to protect Hinata-sama," Neji explained.

'Naruto' shrugged. "Eh, not the reasoning I was hoping for, but it's a step in the right direction. Anyway, the Boss is at Training Ground Five. He'll tell you everything there."

Neji noted the disappointment in Hinata's stance and face.

'_So, it's more than just a friendship. The Main branch will never permit such a relationship…I do believe I'll support Hinata-sama's little dalliance," _Neji thought excitedly. This situation was a godsend. He could use this to complete his true objective. If Naruto was telling the truth, Hinata-sama would fight against the Hyūga Curse Seal. Neji could use his support of Hinata-sama's relationship to further secure _her_ support for removing the seal.

It would also be a small gesture of defiance against the oppressive Main Branch.

The Clone dispelled after waving one last time to Hinata. The two Hyūga quickly made their way to Training Ground Five. The real Naruto was waiting in a tree. Hinata and Neji deactivated their Byakugan as Naruto jumped down from the branches.

"Um…hey Hinata-chan," Naruto said shyly.

"Good evening, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with real enthusiasm. Neji smirked for a moment. It was as if someone had switched the personalities of Hinata-sama and Naruto.

"Yo," Naruto greeted Neji as well. Neji did not respond verbally, but nodded in response. "W-well, I suppose I should tell you everything?"

Naruto flopped to the ground. Neji noted how un-Hyūga like the other boy was. Naruto was making Neji feel very at ease.

'_That is a mistake. I know how much of a mistake this is and I'm still lowering my guard around Naruto,'_ Neji berated himself. He was tempted to reactivate his Byakugan, but decided against it.

"I'll need you guys to activate your Byakugan," Naruto said somberly. Neji wanted to groan. Once again, he had completely misread Naruto. Hinata activated her Byakugan first and Neji quickly followed suit. Naruto started channeling a bit of chakra the moment he saw the trademark veins that betrayed the presence of an active Byakugan.

"Do you see my seal?" Naruto asked.

"We see it, Naruto-kun," Hinata answered.

'_It? She didn't sound amazed or confused,'_ Naruto thought in shock.

"I've never seen a seal so complex," Neji whispered in awe. Naruto was comforted by the shock and near-disbelief in the older boy's tone. _That_ was what Naruto had been expecting. Neji looked Naruto directly in the eyes. "What could possibly require such an intricate seal?"

'_This is it. There is no going back after this,'_ Naruto steeled himself. "The Fourth Hokage defeated the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, but he could not defeat it. Instead…he sacrificed his life to seal the Kyūbi into a child…"

Naruto found it difficult to finish the story. Naruto's greatest fear was rejection. He had worked so hard to make friends with Hinata-chan, Sasuke. He was even making a serious effort to become friends with Neji. If they rejected him here, Naruto would likely leave Konoha to find Namikaze.

"_I _am that child. My seal was designed by my…the Fourth Hokage to keep the Kyūbi from influencing me and to allow me to call upon some of its chakra when I'm in great danger," Naruto finished.

The three young people sat in silence. Naruto was silent out of fear of rejection and a desire to let Neji and Hinata process what he had told them. Neji was the first to speak.

"This…this is a great deal to take in, Naruto. I will need time to meditate on what you have revealed. I…I do thank you for…respecting me enough to reveal this…" Neji trembled as he spoke. He would not admit this out loud, but he felt small in the face of such a monumental revelation.

"I can't blame you…it took me a while to accept the truth as well," Naruto confided in Neji.

Neji _bowed_. "I will speak with you as soon as I come to terms with this…"

"Take your time. This was a pretty big explosive tag I planted on you," Naruto returned the bow. Neji took a deep breath before beginning to walk off.

"Hinata-sama, I'll meet you at the edge of the training grounds…" Neji said after a moment's pause. Hinata nodded distractedly. Naruto and Hinata did not speak immediately after Neji walked off. Naruto felt a wave of hope wash over him when Hinata looked him in the eyes.

"I…I know this will change things, Hinata-chan," Naruto gulped.

Hinata nodded. "I-I won't lie, Naruto-kun…it will a little. Neji-nii-san was r-right…this is a lot to take in." The young woman paused for a moment. "But…you are still, no, you have always been Naruto-kun. Even nii-san recognizes this…I don't think he would have left me here with you if he didn't recognize the fact that you weren't the Demon…inside you."

"Thank you, Hinata-chan," Naruto took a relieved breath. "I can see it in your eyes…you're frightened…"

Hinata could see the hurt in Naruto's eyes. She decided that now was the time to be bold. Hinata reached across the divide and took Naruto's hand. "I...don't think...I don't t-think there is anyone alive in Konoha who wouldn't be f-frightened by the Kyūbi. My clan talks about the at-attack a g-great deal. We…we _saw_ the Kyūbi i-in ways no one else in Konoha could…"

"I…" Naruto barely managed to force out. Any further words died on Naruto's lips when Hinata pulled him into a hug.

"B-but I trust you, Naruto-kun. I…I know you would never, never allow the Kyūbi to control you. T-thank you…you've protected all of Konoha…me…since the day you were born…and no one has ever thanked you."

Naruto felt his stomach knot up. The sensation was the complete opposite of what he had been expecting. True, he had been expecting to be nervous. However, he had been planning on ways to salvage his budding relationship with Hinata.

He had never expected an internal debate on whether to take the next step in their relationship. Naruto took a few shallow breaths and felt weak in the knees as Hinata looked up at him.

"D...did w-we just…" Hinata whispered. Naruto felt her breath on his cheek and her heartbeat against his chest. He was intoxicated. Naruto's head was swimming so much that he wasn't entirely sure who had kissed whom. All he was sure of was that, yes, he had just kissed Hinata. It had been such a quick kiss that both Naruto and Hinata were silently wondering if it had been a dream instead of their first kiss.

"I…we…did," Naruto said in a blissful daze. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Hinata's. Naruto caught a glimpse of Hinata's blush before he shut his eyes. "H-Hinata-chan…there's something else I have to tell you…"

* * *

**Author's Note: **And here we go! I hope the chapter length and fluff makes up for the huge gap between updates!


	10. The Inevitable March

Sasuke could not sleep. His mind had been rolling with emotion ever since he left the ramen stand. Sasuke had tried so very hard to bury all his emotions, save hatred for Itachi, in his pursuit of power. In the space of a few short days, Naruto had brought out a host of Sasuke's emotions. The first few days, which admittedly weren't his best, Naruto and Hinata had aroused his anger. June was always a month difficult for Sasuke. His beloved mother's birthday is…was June the first. The times around his mother's and father's birthdays were always Sasuke's lowest points.

He groaned as he got out of his bed. Sasuke walked to the window and gazed in the direction of his clan's district. Normally, he shied away from the district during the months of June and August. The memories of his father and mother were too painful. Tonight, Sasuke found he was unable to look away. It was almost as if something was calling to him. It wasn't a genjutsu. Sasuke was certain of that fact. Instead, it was an almost spiritual feeling. A soft smile appeared on his lips unbidden. One day, Sasuke would return to his clan's district. It would be glorious.

'_Where has this optimism come from?'_ Sasuke asked himself in surprise. His thoughts hadn't been this positive in years. Suddenly, Sasuke's train of thought derailed. The section of his mind trained for action and the life of a shinobi became dominant.

There was someone in the Uchiha district.

The Uchiha district was held in trust by the Hokage. Sasuke was the only individual who could enter the district without the joint permission of himself and the Hokage. Sasuke felt a tremor of rage and worry in his gut. He bolted across the room and threw on his shirt and collected his shinobi gear.

He didn't even bother to use the door.

'_I owe Naruto a proper thank-you for teaching me tree walking,'_ Sasuke thought in dark amusement. _'Whoever you are, you will answer for your trespass!'_

* * *

Naruto and Hinata had remained silent for several moments. The two young people simply wanted to absorb each other's presence and embrace the new facet of their relationship.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto said after taking a few deep breaths. "There is one more thing I have to tell you."

"W-what is it, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as she rested her cheek on Naruto's chest. She listened to his heart beat and was shocked that it was beating as fast as hers. Hinata reveled in the intimate connection. It was strange seeing Naruto this nervous. Somehow, Naruto's nervousness made him more human. Hinata experienced a strange sense of relief. She believed for the first time that she could help him beyond simple sparring. For the first time, the small part of her mind that considered Naruto an impossible dream was silenced. "You can t-tell me anything. I will stay with you forever."

"T-this time we might get that chance," Naruto barely whispered. Hinata had barely heard him speak, and she had her head resting just below his chin. She squeaked a bit in surprise as Naruto hugged her tightly.

"This time?" Hinata felt a knot in her stomach. A weighty and mysterious feeling descended upon the Hyūga heiress.

"What I'm about to tell you…I doubt you'll believe me. I have trouble believing it myself…mainly because of how afraid it makes me," Naruto chose his words with care.

'_Afraid? Naruto-kun?'_ Hinata could scarcely believe that. Naruto was so brave. "I'm here for you."

Naruto smiled at Hinata's assurance. "I…sort of traveled through time _for you_."

"W-what?" Hinata repositioned herself so she could look Naruto in the eyes.

"It's a long story," Naruto said a bit sheepishly. Somehow, Naruto knew Hinata would hang on his every word. Naruto took a deep breath and began to explain. He started with what Namikaze had revealed to him about _how_ he had come back. Hinata was amazed to learn that the Rinnegan actually existed. It was a legend. However, she noticed Naruto's hesitation.

"Naruto-kun, you've told me how 'you' came back, but now why," Hinata prodded.

Naruto shivered. "It hurts." Hinata felt Naruto tense. "I didn't come back as me. A second version of me came back, the older me."

"W-was it Namikaze?" Hinata asked as the pieces fell into place. _'That is why he said Naruto-kun was his past and his future.'_

"Yeah…how did you know?"

"H-He came to me at one of the training grounds. It was the day after the Academy Holiday ended. Namikaze…told me how Genin Teams were formed," Hinata revealed.

"O-oh," Naruto said. "Guess that makes this 'easier'. Namikaze is my future self and he will cease to exist in one year."

"What?" Hinata asked in shock.

"When Nagato-nii and Yamato-sensei came back, they immediately merged with their current selves. Namikaze couldn't…because…Well, I guess I should just spell it out," Naruto's voiced trembled as he spoke. Naruto explained, as best he knew, the battle against 'Pain'. He told how Hinata had saved him from being captured and having the Kyūbi extracted. More than that…

Naruto revealed that the future Hinata had loved him.

He revealed that the Hinata of that time had sacrificed herself for Namikaze. Naruto revealed that Namikaze's eyes were not his own. They had once belonged to Hinata.

'_Those were once my eyes…'_ Hinata felt her legs turn to mush. She would have surely collapsed if Naruto had not been holding her.

"He…I…we came back because we couldn't imagine a world without you. I don't have all of Namikaze's memories yet. I won't get those for another couple of months…but I can _feel_ the connection Namikaze and your future-self had," Naruto continued to explain. "And you know what? I'd go back again and again to protect that connection. I wouldn't…couldn't go on without that connection."

Hinata, at this point, was in tears. Naruto's revelations had hit her like hammer blows. Time travel was a mind-blowing concept, but she instinctively trusted Naruto. Hinata had also seen Namikaze. The seal Namikaze and Naruto possessed was far too complicated to easily replicate. It was hard to believe someone could copy Naruto's seal for use in a prank.

Namikaze's eyes were also a shock. They had been _hers_.

It was somewhat difficult to process Naruto's words. Naruto had come back _for her_. He hadn't said it plainly, but Hinata was convinced that Naruto _loved _her. Hinata had never felt so…whole in her life.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata gently breathed her love's name. She was going to show him beyond a shadow of a doubt. Hinata kissed Naruto passionately. The Hyūga heiress poured her soul into the kiss. Hinata wanted Naruto to experience her acceptance, gratitude, and love in a purer sense than words could ever capture.

Naruto for his part was drawn into the present. In that moment, there was no past or future. All Naruto could, or wanted to, comprehend was Hinata. He had no fear or regrets about Namikaze's actions now. Hinata's emotions and hopes practically flowed into his soul. Naruto responded in kind and poured his gratitude, hope, and his own love back into the kiss.

It was a beautiful moment that both Naruto and Hinata wished could last forever. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

"Hinata-sama, forgive my interruption of your…intimate moment, but we must return to the compound soon," Neji said sheepishly. He had the decency to look a bit embarrassed that he had to interrupt the moment.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked in childish hope.

Neji tried to look authoritative but could only sigh instead. "Hiashi-sama will undoubtedly ask questions about Hinata-sama's training. I do not believe he would be pleased to learn of this rendezvous."

Hinata put a hand to her lips. She hadn't thought about that! Hinata suddenly realized that her lips were a bit puffy from the intensity of the kiss.

"H-how obvious is it?" Hinata asked nervously.

"Fairly," Neji said a tad impatiently even though Hinata's back was to him.

Hinata gulped. "Neji-nii-san, can we spar?"

"I am not sure that is wise. We do not have much time before Hiashi-sama will send someone to locate us," Neji attempted to reason with Hinata.

"I know…but I need you to hit me in the face," Hinata said quickly.

"Whaaat?!" Naruto shouted. He hadn't let go of Hinata and she flinched at his outburst. Hinata shifted in Naruto's embrace so she could see her cousin without activating her bloodline.

"Father would not punish me for being overly aggressive in a night spar. I am worried thathe would not react well to my relationship with Naruto at the moment. In a few days, he will have no choice but to accept it," Hinata explained.

"I never expected such…defiance on your part, Hinata-sama," Neji said neutrally.

"Naruto-kun is worth my father's displeasure," Hinata said firmly. Neji couldn't help but smirk. He was enjoying this defiance of the clan from Hinata-sama. It appeared that Naruto could see the truth of Hinata better than anyone. Naruto's vision was more focused, perhaps. The Hyūga prodigy considered that Naruto could truly see people. Naruto didn't need a dōjutsu to see the truth of one's character. He could simply reach to one's very core.

'_Naruto…you have the makings of a legend. You are a man I will follow willingly,'_ Neji thought to himself.

"But why do you want Neji to punch you in the face? Your face is pretty! I don't want anyone hitting you in the face! _Especially _when I can't hit them back!" Naruto whined.

"It will be okay, Naruto-kun," Hinata said soothingly. She felt a bit light-headed when Naruto called her pretty. "T-this is just so Father won't be able to interfere. I am still legally a civilian. H-he would be within his rights to withhold me from the Academy until graduation."

Naruto really didn't like the thought of not seeing Hinata for a few days. "Does he have to hit you in the face?"

"I could only graze her mouth. That would likely divert suspicion," Neji offered as a compromise. His words and actions were surprising him.

"I still don't like this idea…" Naruto grumbled. He flopped to the ground as Hinata and Neji entered their Jūken stances. Naruto was familiar with sparring _against_ Hinata's Gentle Fist style. However, he had never seen a match between two Jūken users. Neji and Hinata exchanged a nod and launched themselves at each other. Naruto unconsciously leaned forward. He was amazed by the contradiction of a Jūken match. It was simultaneously fluid and rigid. Hinata and Neji held their stances firm and only grudgingly gave ground. However, their upper bodies were in constant motion. Neji and Hinata were dodging strikes, probing for openings, and searching for any and all advantages. They were like blurs.

"Hinata-sama," Neji said as he jumped back. "I'm going to aim high with my next punch."

"I understand nii-san," Hinata acknowledged Neji. Naruto grumbled about the plan from his spot nearby. The 'accident' came quickly and Hinata's lip had a new bruise.

"Ouch," Hinata said tenderly.

"My apologies, Hinata-sama," Neji said quickly. Naruto got up and walked over to the two Hyūga.

"You _are_ okay, right Hinata-chan?" Naruto sounded for the world like a doting husband. The imagery wasn't lost on Hinata and she blushed.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun." Hinata took Naruto's hand. "I…I can't wait to see you tomorrow, but Neji-nii-san is right. We have to get back home before Father sends someone looking for us."

"Okay…" Naruto pouted and Hinata giggled at how cute he looked. "Good night, Hinata-chan." Naruto gave Hinata a quick peck on the lips. Hinata was already red from the exertion from her spar with Neji. The quick chaste kiss ensured her blush was visible even in the nearly moonless night.

"G-good night…Naruto-kun," Hinata said shyly. She swooned as she started to walk away.

Neji rolled his eyes as he steadied Hinata. _'At least the sparing match can explain her addled mental state too. I can just blame it on fatigue.'_

"Night, Hinata-chan. See ya around, Neji!" Naruto waved enthusiastically. Naruto watched Hinata and Neji until they jumped out of sight. He took a deep breath as soon as he was confident no one else was around. "YES!"

'_I can't believe how that worked out! I…I never expected it to go so well!" _Naruto thought in unbridled joy. He had honestly been absolutely terrified that Hinata would reject him. Naruto wasn't sure what he would have done if Hinata had turned her back on him. A lesser fear had been Neji snatching Hinata away to 'protect her from the Jinchuriki'. Naruto was infinitely relieved that neither of those nightmare scenarios had come to pass.

In fact, Naruto was trying to think of the opposite of nightmare. Dream struck Naruto as far too bland to describe how good he felt. Naruto wandered away from the training ground in a daze. He was, quite possibly, in the best mood of his life.

"You know, I had hoped you would stop doing that," Sasuke's voice dragged Naruto back to reality.

Naruto clicked his teeth. "Sorry, Sasuke…I guess I was lost in my own little world."

"Don't worry about it. What are you doing out at midnight?" Sasuke questioned.

Naruto sighed and Sasuke knew _immediately_ it was something Hinata-related. "Oh…I trained with Hinata-chan and her cousin…then I…talked with Hinata about some stuff."

"Talked, sure," Sasuke shook his head. Naruto was blushing and that convinced Sasuke it was anything but a talk.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Naruto asked with a hint of his normal composure. Sasuke looked to his clan's district.

"Uchiha business," he half admitted.

"At midnight?" Naruto asked. "Come on, Sasuke. We're _friends_. If you were about to charge into battle against a bunch of Iwa ninja, I'd tell you to wait so I could get my kunai."

"We haven't been friends that long," Sasuke pointed out and unknowingly acknowledged Naruto as his friend.

"Bah, what better way to cement a friendship than kicking ass in an epic battle?" Naruto waved off Sasuke's point. "Besides, your clan's district is pretty big. You're probably looking for something and it would take forever to find something in there."

Sasuke debated if he should include Naruto. However, if there was one person Sasuke was confident to be discreet, it was ironically Naruto. Naruto had always been a loud and flamboyant attention-seeker. However, he was keeping his relationship with Hinata surprisingly quiet. "Fine."

Naruto beamed. "See, was that so hard?" Sasuke just rolled his eyes and the two boys headed for the Uchiha district. "So, what exactly are we looking for?"

"A trespasser. I just hope the two of us can find this intruder quickly," Sasuke explained and lamented.

"The two of us…maybe not. The two _dozen_ of us, probably," Naruto said slyly.

"What does that even mean?" Sasuke questioned.

"You'll see," Naruto said cheekily.

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes again. _'Of all the times for Naruto to become cryptic!'_

* * *

Namikaze paused at the entrance to a small road-side tavern. He could feel something in his bones. Tsunade and Shizune watched the young man pause. Shizune took a tentative step forward.

"Is something wrong, Namikaze-san?"

Namikaze flashed a confident grin. "We found Ero-Sennin a lot sooner than I thought we would."

"Ero-sennin?" Shizune giggled. "It fits."

"Doesn't it?" Namikaze agreed. "It'll be good to see the Old Pervert again. He meant a lot to me."

"I'm glad you are getting a second chance," Shizune said comfortingly.

Namikaze chuckled. He hadn't told Baa-chan or Shizune that his time was limited. Still, the sentiment was nice. There was so much he wanted to tell Jiraiya. Naruto was confident that it would be a great reunion.

"Thanks Shizune," Namikaze responded hopefully. "Ladies first."

Tsuande and Shizune nodded in thanks and entered the somewhat-shady establishment. Tsunade had an amused smile gracing her lips.

"Is something wrong, Tsunade-shishō?" Shizune asked politely.

"Oh, I'm just trying to figure out how I feel about my student who I view as a daughter checking out a young man who calls me 'baa-chan'," Tsunade said mischievously.

"Tsunade-shishō!" Shizune was thoroughly scandalized. The medical ninja blushed a furious crimson and barely held back tears. She had always wondered how Tsunade viewed their relationship. This was the first time Tsunade had hinted that she viewed Shizune as family while sober. Shizune couldn't deny that Namikaze was intriguing.

She _wasn't_ checking him out though!

Namikaze didn't hear Tsunade and Shizune's conversation. Instead, he was focused on his reunion with Ero-sennin. Namikaze was so excited and optimistic that he had to remind himself he wasn't Naruto anymore.

Strangely, the bar was almost completely empty. Namikaze and Shizune followed Tsunade towards a table in the back. The Slug Sannin took a seat.

"Usually, you're the one telling me to take it easy on the sake," Tsunade said with half-disguised pity.

Jiraiya looked up, but his gaze didn't meet Tsunade's. Instead, the Toad Sage looked directly at Namikaze. The young man had abandoned the bloody rags that had obscured Hinata's gifted Byakugan nearly a day ago. Namikaze was shocked by how _old_ Ero-sennin looked. The time-traveler had always known Jiraiya was old, but this was the first time Jiraiya had ever _looked_ old. Namikaze fondly remembered the energy and sheer optimism that Ero-sennin always radiated.

This…this was not Jiraiya-sensei.

Jiraiya-sensei never looked defeated.

"I suppose you hate me, eh?" Jiraiya said after a moment.

"H-Hate you? I…I could never hate you, Ero-sennin," Namikaze stammered. The _thought_ of hating Ero-Sennin, one of the two great father-figures in his past life, was one of the most loathsome ideas Naruto had ever heard.

"The Toads told me everything…" Jiraiya groaned. "They told me how miserably I have failed you and Nagato, Konan and Yahiko…"

"We have a second chance," Namikaze said firmly. "Let's make use of it. Nagato-nii and I wouldn't have this chance, wouldn't have this conviction, without you."

"Quite the idealistic fool, aren't we?" Jiraiya questioned. The question was biting, but everyone heard the approval and some of Jiraiya's natural spark in the words.

Namikaze heard that spark and smirked. "Absolutely, if being a fool means never giving up then I'll gladly stay a fool forever."

"So, guts solve everything?" Jiraiya challenged.

"Not everything, but even then it always helps," Namikaze replied to the challenge.

Jiraiya nodded. "It certainly helps, but boy…I hope you're prepared to accept the fact that you aren't as in control as you think you are. I'm sure you've been taking every precaution, but I want you to be ready for anything."

"Don't worry, Ero-sennin. I've prepared for the battle against Madara," Namikaze declared proudly.

Jiraiya nodded, but quietly hoped Minato's son had planned for the war as well.

* * *

Naruto turned to face Sasuke as soon as the two were out of sight of anyone outside of the Uchiha district. Sasuke was surprised by how serious Naruto appeared to be taking the search.

"So, Sasuke, any clue what we're dealing with?" Naruto asked.

"I set up a few visual systems to warn me if someone attempted to infiltrate my clan's district," Sasuke explained. As he finished, he noticed Naruto had entered an odd pose. Sasuke's classmate had his arms crossed tightly against his chest and Naruto's eyes were closed. "What?"

"You can only see these signals when you are at home? Or when you are in specific locations at specific times?" Naruto asked.

"Yes…" Sasuke answered and surprised himself with his hesitation.

"I think we should operate on the assumption someone has figured your system out and is trying to get you here," Naruto said without hesitation. He had been trying to apply Namikaze's belief of 'looking underneath the underneath' to more than just meeting Hinata.

Sasuke, for his part, was caught off guard by how perceptive Naruto had suddenly become. It was as if Naruto had completely transformed from the total idiot everyone had dismissed as simply a loudmouth braggart. "You're almost a completely different person."

"Huh?" Naruto's train of thought had been completely derailed.

"A few days ago, you were a loudmouth idiot who had no talent. Now, you're the only person in the Academy I can count on to not hold me back when we get our team assignments," Sasuke revealed.

"You'll be able to count on Hinata-chan," Naruto said firmly. "but thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I know next to nothing about your _girlfriend_. She'll definitely be more welcome than any of the other 'kunoichi' in our class. But I want to know what caused this sudden change," Sasuke said firmly.

Naruto sighed. "I'll explain as we look. I think we should stick together."

"We've wasted enough time. If we stick together we'll never find any evidence in time," Sasuke countered sharply.

"Remember what I said about having two dozen of us?" Naruto asked with a cheeky grin. The Uchiha watched as Naruto made an unusual hand seal. There was suddenly a pall of smoke, and Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. He was staring at two dozen Narutos.

'_How can someone I wrote off as a dobe, a hopeless idiot, pull this off? Naruto couldn't even make a _single _Bunshin a few days ago!'_ Sasuke marveled.

"I know what you're thinking. How can Uzumaki Naruto make a ton of clones and why am I not this awesome?" Naruto joked. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well, I can't help with the second question, but I'm not making Bunshins."

"Then what jutsu is that?" Sasuke asked.

"_Kage _Bunshins,"Naruto said proudly.

"Bullshit," Sasuke replied. "Explain as we look."

Naruto chuckled as he told his Kage Bunshin to pair up and start looking. "If you find anything, dispel."

The clones made various statements or grunts in the affirmative and quickly spread through Sasuke's compound.

"Kage Bunshin is a Jonin-level jutsu and takes a _ton_ of chakra. Father could only make two and that nearly caused him to collapse from the effort," Sasuke said in disbelief.

Naruto followed Sasuke deeper into the Uchiha district. He chuckled. "I…have had a ton of chakra just about since I've been born. I got Yamato-sensei to teach Kage Bunshin to me."

"Yamato-sensei?" Sasuke parroted.

"Yeah, he saw me screwing up the Bunshin and offered to teach me it in exchange for not pulling pranks for a while. I think he's on a mission right now, though," Naruto replied.

"Do you think he could be our Jonin instructor? You seem to have everything else about the assignments worked out." Sasuke was curious about the possibilities.

Naruto chewed over the idea. "I'm not sure."

Sasuke grunted. "I'm sure the Academy and the Hokage will put us with an Elite. Think about it…I'm Rookie of the Year and a Uchiha. Hinata is the heiress of the Hyūga Clan and you're pretty close to the Hokage."

"I hadn't thought of that," Naruto chewed over the idea. "Anyway, where are we headed?"

"There are a few areas I need to make sure are safe," Sasuke reported as he came to a stop in front of a door. The Uchiha paused a moment before sliding the door open. He took in the sights of the room before moving on.

"No one stole anything, did they?" Naruto asked.

"There was nothing to steal. I just wanted to remember my mother in her favorite room."

* * *

The two aspiring shinobi had no idea they were being observed. The artificial human of Akatsuki was conflicted about the current situation. On the one hand, Sasuke was supposed to be alone. The potential bond he was forming would make the young Uchiha far less malleable for the purposes of the Eye of the Moon plan. Sasuke needed to _break_ completely. Once Sasuke had realized the hopelessness of this hollow and disgusting world, he would willingly take part in creating the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The fact that the potential bond was with the Kyūbi Jinchūriki further complicated the situation.

That being said…if a wedge could be driven between them…

A plan was forming. It would take time, but time was a resource those who embraced Uchiha Madara's will could exploit.

* * *

"So, what's this place?" Naruto asked as Sasuke stopped in front of a new set of structures. Sasuke hadn't spoken much after leaving what Naruto quickly realized had been Sasuke's home before The Massacre. Naruto had almost zero experience with family, and he prayed every day that he would never have experience with _losing_ family, but he could tell how hard the inspection had been on Sasuke.

"The Uchiha's mews," Sasuke answered and walked among the various shacks and odd T-posts.

Naruto chewed the inside of his cheek. "What the heck is a mew?"

"Houses for falcons and hawks. It was the Uchiha who introduced Messenger Hawks to Konoha. My clan has always had an attachment to birds of prey," the Uchiha youth explained.

"Hawks are cool," the Jinchūriki agreed. "Did you have a pet one?"

"No, I raised one though." Sasuke was about to change subjects when he noticed something…off. The mews were one of the oldest structures in the District. Fugaku had taught Sasuke that the legendary Uchiha Madara had loved falconry. Birds of prey had been connected with the Uchiha. Sasuke hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, and honestly did not expect to find the mews disturbed.

The mews may have been significant to the Uchiha Clan, but to the average trespasser they were simply shacks.

'_Wait…'_ Sasuke commanded himself as he was about to leave. Naruto's shadow had passed over the corner of one of the shacks. Sasuke rushed over and noticed some very faint scratches. If the young Uchiha had to guess, they were from something being opened. _'The brick is one away from a corner…'_

Sasuke ran up and started inspecting the bricks. He felt how…odd one of the bricks felt. It wasn't the brick Sasuke had first noticed, instead it was the corner brick. There was something else about the brick that screamed 'significant' to Sasuke.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Naruto knelt next to Sasuke.

"There is something about this brick. I think it is a false brick," Sasuke mused.

"Like something is hidden behind it? Or maybe a switch?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe." Sasuke couldn't think of how to activate the brick. There was definitely something vastly important about this brick. Sasuke had a feeling that could only be compared to the one he got when standing before The Tablet of the Naka Shrine. Granted, the feeling was nowhere near as intense. Sasuke still could not afford to ignore this feeling. As a last effort, he tried channeling a small amount of chakra into the brick.

"It reacted!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "I didn't see anything."

'_That's it!' _The truth of the brick was completely obvious now. "Neither did I. You need the Sharingan."

"Oh," Naruto huffed. He was a bit disappointed. Naruto really wanted to see what was behind the magic brick. "At least we know no one else can see it either."

"There is that," Sasuke agreed. "Did your clones find anything?"

"None dispelled. I think we're good." Naruto stretched as he finished.

"I want to do one last sweep on my way out." Sasuke cast one last look at the brick. The young man wondered what secret knowledge lurked behind such a small piece of mortar.

Naruto nodded. "It never hurts to be cautious."

Sasuke nodded back. "So, Kage Bunshin is how you're going to graduate."

The Jinchūriki snickered. "Oh yeah. I made a bet with Iruka-sensei that Mizuki-sensei will _totally_ freak out when he sees what I can do!"

"I'll be sure to hang around to hear that reaction." Sasuke lifted his chin and smirked. Naruto's sudden emotional flash triggered one of Namikaze's memories. If Sasuke lifted his chin when he smirked, it was a sign that he was hugely amused.

'_Anyone else would probably be laughing their ass off,'_ Naruto thought.

The two orphaned boys made one last cursory sweep of Sasuke's ancestral home. Sasuke was beginning to wonder if he had simply been imagining things. Naruto, for his part, was amazed at how awesome tonight had been. Hinata's reaction to Naruto's revelations had been better than Naruto had even dared to dream. The second great success was the connection Naruto was building with Sasuke. Naruto was growing in confidence that he could prevent Sasuke's 'betrayal' as well.

'_There is no way things can fall apart now,'_ Naruto thought happily as he parted ways with Sasuke. He could sleep easily knowing that he was holding up his end of the bargain in Konoha and that Namikaze would definitely succeed in his goals as well.

* * *

Namikaze had not truly adjusted to Hinata's Byakugan. He remembered the failed mission to reach Sasuke and Itachi before their confrontation. Hinata had revealed that she could focus and see at least ten kilometers away. Namikaze definitely didn't have that kind of range. He could probably see three kilometers if he really pushed Hinata's eyes.

Still, he could see far enough to realize that Nagato had his kinda-freaky Chameleon following the group. Namikaze also could see that Itachi, Haku, Zabuza, and Kisame were waiting. The two groups of humans converged and Namikaze took the opportunity to introduce everyone.

"I'm sure we're all familiar with each other through personal experience or reputation," Namikaze spoke clearly. Everyone nodded, grunted, or spoke in the affirmative.

Tsunade took a step forward. "Uchiha Itachi, I have a question."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" Itachi asked.

"Why did your mother lie about Uzumaki Kushina's pregnancy?" Tsunade asked sharply.

"Do you know why I damned myself and killed the Uchiha?" Itachi countered Tsunade's question with one of his own.

"I have heard rumors," Tsunade ground out. "Most claim you were power-mad."

"Good. That means no one is close to the truth. I will tell you the whole truth eventually, but for now, it is enough that you know my mother ensure you had no reason to return to Konoha."

"I need more than that!" Tsunade spat.

"Tsunade-hime, we can't reveal Konoha state secrets to outsiders," Jiraiya interrupted. "Things are more complex than you realize."

The Slug Sannin glared at her former teammate. "Fine."

"You Konoha nin can sort your shit later," Zabuza rumbled. "I have a feeling it is Uchiha Madara's fault anyway. We kill him and everything will fall into place."

"You make it sound so easy," Shizune said. "Madara is a _legend_. He was the equal of the Shodai Hokage!"

Zabuza pointed his sword at Shizune. Tsunade _growled_ in disapproval. The Demon of the Hidden Mist did not ignore the legendary Sannin's threatening stance, but did not back down. "We have some of the strongest shinobi on the planet assembled against him. Our little…gang has the Eyes of the Sage on our side."

"I'm not sure I would even call us that, Zabuza," Kisame challenged. "We are at best allies of convenience. The only reason we are all cooperating is our fear and hatred of Madara."

"And that is one of his greatest weapons," Tsunade reluctantly agreed with the Akatsuki member. "Madara is more than a man. He's a symbol. As long as that symbol remains, the world will not know peace."

"Exactly." Namikaze's agreement with Tsunade was almost shocking in its eagerness. "So far, we have only our fear and our…hatred to bind us. That's not enough for lasting peace. We have to move beyond simply agreeing to hate someone else more than we hate each other. If we are going to have a lasting peace, we must achieve a deeper understanding of each other."

Jiraiya, Shizune, Haku, and Itachi found themselves agreeing at least partially with Namikaze's philosophy. All four craved a lasting peace. They had all been traumatized by the horrors of war and persecution. Thus, the prospect of a peace based primarily on understanding and acceptance was appealing.

Zabuza, frankly, found the idea idealistic hogwash. Shinobi were instruments of war, destruction, and sabotage. The role of the shinobi was clear and unmistakable. It went against the very nature of shinobi everywhere to preach about lasting peace. However, Zabuza would follow Namikaze and Pain. They were clearly shinobi of unimaginable power. If Zabuza helped them defeat a legend like Madara, it would increase his own legitimacy when he made his move to retake Kirigakure.

Kisame remained silent. He was still adrift. The Eye of the Moon plan had been revealed as _another_ fraud. There was no truth in anything. However, he remembered Itachi's words from earlier. _'I have to find my own truth. Heh, funny. How am I supposed to find something I doubt exists?'_

Tsunade fought off a sudden flash of fear. There was a moment where she swore she heard Dan and Nawaki talking. The magnitude of Tsunade's decision to involve herself in another of Konoha's 'messes' had finally dawned on her. Tsunade had made a gamble.

'_Scratch that, I've gone beyond gamble. I'm wagering my life, Shizune's life, and the fate of the entire world in a battle against a madman I used to have nightmares about,'_ Tsunade thought darkly.

The Slug Sannin had gone all in. She wanted to take Shizune and flee far from the coming war. Tsunade had no doubts this would be a war. Madara had lived for war. In Tsunade's mind, Uchiha Madara was mankind's hideous lust for violence and war given form.

It was too late, however. The die had been cast and everything Tsunade still cared about was on the line.

* * *

Naruto was dragging his feet as he trudged off to the Academy. Granted, for _years_ he trudged to the Academy. However, that was because he used to loathe classes. If graduation had not been required to become a legal full-fledged Ninja, or if Iruka-sensei hadn't been there, he probably would have never shown up.

No, Naruto was trudging because he was exhausted. He couldn't sleep _at all_. The combination of his night with Hinata and his search of the Uchiha District with Sasuke had made drifting off impossible. He probably could have skipped and gotten out of trouble with Iruka after explaining some of what had happened last night.

'_But Sasuke and Hinata-chan always show up early and I want to be there around the time they show up.' _Naruto's thoughts wavered between annoyance and excitement. He was annoyed that he couldn't just turn around and go back to bed. He was excited because he had two people who had quickly become very important to him.

Then there was the added complication of the upcoming graduation exam. Naruto had only recently attempted the exam. However, this exam was his class's exam. Naruto had taken advantage of the staggered and open nature of the Academy's exam schedule. The Academy was constantly accepting new applicants and graduating new shinobi. Naruto was determined to be one of those 'new shinobi' as quickly as possible.

He hadn't been thrilled with his last exam, however. Naruto's disappointment went beyond his failure to graduate. The last exam had been one of the 'immigrant' classes. Immigrant classes were Academy classes drawn from areas of the Land of Fire with historic ties to Konoha, orphans from the capital, or as some whispered, children of clients who defaulted on payment.

Naruto had hated those rumors before Namikaze's arrival. After his future counterpart revealed himself, Naruto's opinion had changed to outright loathing. That policy, if true, was little more than a sanctioned version of ROOT's methods. Naruto had an idealized and firm vision of family. Thus, tearing apart families to repay debts was a true and terrible sin.

Naruto was suddenly alert and awake. He felt incredibly conflicted, but incredibly sure of himself. It was an odd sensation, Naruto realized. The almost instantaneous change from his earlier 'blargh-ness' to this awareness was shocking. Unfortunately, he was also more aware of the passage of time. In his sleepy state, time just seemed to blur together. Now, Naruto realized how long it was going to take to get to the Academy.

"Stupid paying attention to anything not related to missions, Hinata-chan, and ramen!" Naruto grumbled.

It was a very long three minutes before Naruto reached the Academy. He walked past a small group of girls gossiping about something. Naruto didn't pay any attention. The Jinchūriki had accepted that all girls except maybe Hinata gossiped. He passed by another group, and he chuckled as he realized what the gossip was likely about. Hinata and Sasuke were standing a comfortable distance apart, but were standing near the swing. Naruto was about to shout a greeting, but Hinata beat him to the punch.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted Naruto with light blush dusting her cheeks.

Naruto beamed brightly. "Good morning, Hinata-chan." The nearly-public young couple exchanged a quick hug. "How's your lip?"

"It isn't sore anymore. My cream helped," Hinata revealed.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "How's Neji?"

"I think he's still coming to grips with what we all talked about. He was in a better mood this morning. Neji-nii-san told me that his Jonin-sensei had returned from an A-rank mission," Hinata chatted happily as she, slightly, separated from Naruto.

"That's cool. I can't wait until we find out who our Jonin sensei will be," Naruto said with a smile.

Sasuke had finally made his way over to the couple. "Hinata and I were discussing that waiting for you."

"So _that's _what everyone was talking about," Naruto smirked. "I wonder what this next bit will do to the rumor mill?"

Hinata and Sasuke exchanged a look. Naruto's smirk broadened. "So, do you two have any idea who the lucky Jonin of _our_ team _will_ be?"

"We talked about that last night," Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes. "Or did you forget the second you got home because you were thinking about your 'rendezvous' with Hinata more?"

Sasuke's verbal jab was rewarded by Naruto and Hinata blushing furiously. Naruto recovered quickly. "Well, Hinata-chan _is_ more interesting than you."

"Is it too late to give up my Rookie of the Year position to Shino?" Sasuke asked in jest.

"I-I'm afraid you are stuck with us, Sasuke-kun," Hinata joked.

Sasuke stopped and stared at the pair. "I refuse to wear orange."

"Don't fight it Sasuke. You'll give in eventually," Naruto warned.

The Uchiha just shook his head and the trio entered the Academy. Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke sat on Sasuke's usual row. Sasuke took his place by the window. Hinata took the middle seat, but she openly sat closer to Naruto who had taken the aisle seat. A large portion of the class had filtered in behind the trio.

Iruka and Mizuki entered the classroom before any of the other students had a chance to question the odd arrangement.

"We are approaching the final Graduation Exam," Mizuki started. "So, until the exam, we will be perfecting our basic jutsus. Also, Iruka-sensei and I will be addressing individual students and areas of concern."

The class was led outside to an unused training ground. Iruka and Mizuki had also set up several tables and benches if students needed to study for the academic and theoretical tests.

"I just noticed something," Naruto whispered to Hinata and Sasuke.

"The size of the benches?" Hinata whispered back.

Sasuke gave a closer look at the desks. "One is smaller than the other. It is trying to force us into groups of three."

"Just like the Genin teams," Hinata said in appreciation of the subtlety.

The future Genin team sat at one of the desks. Naruto and Hinata took one bench and Sasuke sat on the smaller bench across from the pair. Hinata had brought her books and they studied a little bit on the Academics. Out of the blue, Sasuke made a questioning grunt.

"I just thought of something," Sasuke said from behind interlocked hands.

"This should be good," Naruto said in anticipation and leaned in closer.

"We're ninja," Sasuke began. "One of our future tasks will be gathering intelligence and other valuable information. Why shouldn't we treat the academic test just like a mission?"

Hinata's eyes widened. "That is brilliant. You really are a genius, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded in thanks. Naruto smirked as a few thoughts popped into his head.

"A few things," Naruto jumped into the conversation. "First, I think that's the first time a girl has called you 'Sasuke-kun' and you haven't looked like you swallowed a bug. Heck, I think that's the first time you've used kun when talking with Sasuke, Hinata-chan."

"Hinata's a competent kunoichi and she's your girlfriend. I know I don't have to worry about the usual annoyances with her," Sasuke explained.

"We will all be teammates in a few days. I am hoping we can all become great friends," Hinata admitted.

"Cool, I don't see any problems on that front. Do you, Sasuke?" Naruto questioned.

"Only if you two don't use missions as a substitute for dates," Sasuke joked.

"I think he's on to us, Hinata-chan," Naruto whispered into his girlfriend's ears loudly enough for Sasuke to hear him. Sasuke rolled his eyes but smiled at the joke.

"Anyway, I'm with you two. We can use it like an intel mission. Obviously, Hinata-chan's got it easy with her Byakugan. The two of us," Naruto pointed to Sasuke as he explained. "will need to get creative. Luckily…I'm good at creative."

"Let me guess, it involves Kage Bunshin?" Sasuke asked.

"Heck yeah. Do you have radios?" Naruto replied with a mischievous grin. Sasuke returned the grin and Hinata shook her head in amusement. The three didn't get a chance to continue, because Mizuki and Iruka approached their table.

"It looks like the confident ones have all gathered together," Mizuki said with an amused grin. Hinata looked a bit shocked at the statement. It was a rare day that someone declared she was a confident person.

"Well yeah, Mizuki-sensei. I mean, Hinata-chan and Sasuke are the top ranked students in our class and I'm just awesome," Naruto declared.

"Are you sure you don't need to work on the Bunshin technique?" Iruka asked.

"No, you remember our bet right?" Naruto mentioned in an off-hand manner. Iruka nodded and ignored Mizuki's questioning look. "Well, I've got everything covered. It'll be amazing, just ask Hinata-chan and Sasuke."

The two teachers looked to the two top-ranked students. Hinata was wearing a look that spoke of her complete faith and confidence in Naruto. "Naruto-kun will have no difficulty passing."

"Hinata's right. I've seen what Naruto is planning. It is impressive," Sasuke confessed. Iruka smiled as he realized that Naruto was probably going to win both bets.

Mizuki wasn't as confident as his 'friend' and students. He was sure that the Fox did have a trick up his sleeve, but despite the Hokage's boasts Mizuki was not convinced. "I still believe it would be…prudent to work on the Bunshin."

"Maybe later, Mizuki-sensei. We're plotting," Naruto said with a grin that promised trouble.

The two teachers rolled their eyes as they moved on from Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto. Sasuke watched Mizuki leave with a critical eye.

"It is obvious he doesn't like you," Sasuke reported.

"Which will make my graduation even better," Naruto said triumphantly.

"So, Naruto-kun, what is your plan for the written test?" Hinata asked. The Jinchūriki smiled before looking around conspiratorially.

"Hinata-chan, it is actually really simple."

* * *

Naruto had decided that morning that he didn't really care. He had never felt more confident than he did today. Naruto _was_ going to graduate today. Today was the next step to changing the world for the better.

'_I'm going to shock everyone with how I graduate. Everyone is going to have to acknowledge that I'm the man!'_ Naruto grinned as his destination came into view.

The Hyūga compound wasn't as large as Sasuke's district, but it was still very impressive. Naruto thought the stern-faced guards were a nice touch. They glared at him but, for once, Naruto wasn't taking it personally. Naruto was confident that Hinata-chan's guards glared at _everyone_. Hinata emerged from the gates, and to Naruto's shock, the guards politely nodded at the heiress.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun!" Hinata greeted excitedly. She ran over and hugged Naruto. Naruto gladly hugged her back.

"Ready to amaze the Academy?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"I am. Did you and Sasuke-kun work out your plan?" Hinata asked.

"Oh yeah, it is going to be easy," Naruto smirked.

* * *

Mizuki and Iruka had broken up any and all cliques. Hinata was up front for once. Naruto was in the very back, and exchanged a knowing look with Sasuke. Mizuki finished handing out the test.

"Team One to Boss and Teme," Naruto's voice crackled into both Sasuke and Naruto's ears. "We've found the answer key. Number one is…"

Naruto and Sasuke both grinned as Naruto's Kage Bunshin team started reading off the answers. Hinata didn't need the radio. She simply used her Byakugan to copy off both Naruto and Sasuke. The written test had been turned into a joke. In the teacher's room, Naruto's clones wrote a note to Mizuki.

_Thanks for leaving the key unsecured on the desk!_

Naruto ran up to Hinata as Iruka led the class outside for the physical exam. "Told you it would be really easy."

"Are you sure that key was a real one?" Hinata asked nervously.

Naruto thought about it for a second. "I think so. My clones had to pick the lock and I recognized Mizuki's handwriting."

That placated Hinata a bit before she refocused on the upcoming physical exams. The timed obstacle course wasn't a challenge for anyone in the class. Naruto and Sasuke were definitely looking forward to the spars.

The first few matches weren't very interesting. Shikamaru wasn't very enthusiastic about his match against Ami and simply used his Kagemane Jutsu to force Ami to back out of the ring. Unfortunately, Shikamaru backed out of the ring as well.

Naruto immediately perked up when Hinata's name was called. Hinata's match would be against a girl from a civilian family named Fuki.

"Show'em what you're made of Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted in exuberant pride. Hinata had grown accustomed to Naruto's enthusiastic praise, so her blush wasn't visible from twenty feet away. She remained in complete control as she entered into her stance.

Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke for a moment. "Fuki's doomed isn't she?"

"Isn't it obvious? Hinata isn't even using her Gentle Fist. That's the Academy taijutsu stance," Sasuke scoffed.

The match was a quick and clinical fight. Fuki hesitated because of Hinata's position as top kunoichi and the fearsome reputation of Hyūga taijutsu. The fight barely lasted long enough for most of the class to process that Iruka had given the order to begin. Hinata dashed at Fuki and ducked beneath a half-hearted strike. Fuki didn't even have time to cry out in surprise as Hinata knocked her from her feet with a sweep kick. In a flash, Hinata had activated her Byakugan and aimed a fist at Fuki's shoulder. There was no need to even ask for submission because Fuki repeatedly yielded.

Hinata walked over to Naruto after Iruka declared her the winner. "I don't like intimidating people like that."

"I know," Naruto said in a placating tone of voice. "We're shinobi though. Sometimes, we might have to do that to get information without resorting to more violence."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said in acceptance.

The next few fights were nothing that stood out to Naruto. Strangely, he got a flash of Namikaze's memories when Sakura fought Ami. Naruto was sure there was some kind of issue between those two. The fact that neither girl pulled their punches confirmed that fact. Naruto shrugged it off. He was only really interested in his upcoming spar and Sasuke's cake-walk. Fortunately for Naruto's limited patience, he did not have to wait much longer for his fight.

"Aburame Shino and Uzumaki Naruto, please enter the ring," Mizuki commanded.

The two boys entered the sparring circle as ordered. Naruto and Shino exchanged a respectful nod. They hadn't talked all that much, but they were on relatively friendly terms. As such, there was no hesitation when Mizuki told them to make the sign of combat. The fight began and ended relatively quickly. Naruto had no doubt that Shino would be an incredibly powerful shinobi. However, Shino relied heavily on his Kikai bugs and any and all potentially-lethal ninjutsu and genjutsu were illegal in this spar.

Naruto pressed this advantage and charged. He wasn't too proud to admit that he misjudged Shino. The Aburame boy had a longer reach than Naruto and was surprisingly quick. Shino managed to land a few glancing hits. Unfortunately for the older boy, the few hits did not slow Naruto's advance down. Naruto's taijutsu had been honed by his recent training with both Hinata and Sasuke. It was a simple matter to sidestep Shino's mechanical and precise jabs. Naruto got inside of Shino's reach and landed a few choice blows before knocking Shino from the ring.

"I'm glad this was a taijutsu-only match," Naruto offered a hand in addition to his words. "If you could have used your bugs, I would have been wrecked."

Shino accepted Naruto's hand and was pulled a bit enthusiastically to his feet. "I thank you for the vote of confidence, Naruto-san. I must also thank you additionally. This match has shown me that I have a critical weakness in my repertoire. I will endeavor to improve so that I will not be a liability for my team."

"You're welcome, Shino. That sounds like a good plan," Naruto said with a nod that screamed approval to anyone around. The two boys made the sign of harmony and went their separate ways.

"Not a bad fight, Naruto," Sasuke acknowledged. "You're right though, Shino would have wrecked you if he could have used his clan's techniques."

Naruto chuckled. "In that small of a ring? Hell yeah, I would have been wrecked."

"The Aburame do have fearsome jutsu," Hinata admitted and forced herself to acknowledge that even Naruto's determination would have a difficult time overcoming the difficulties of that match up.

The next few fights were fairly standard. Kiba's match against Hibachi lasted less than a minute. The final fight of the day was Sasuke versus a civilian-born student named Tobio. Naruto wasn't sure why, but he wanted to see Sasuke put on a show as he beat Tobio. He also had a stronger-than-usual urge to talk with Hinata about last night. Naruto shrugged it off and watched Sasuke efficiently demolish Tobio.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, it's amazing how even your clan name can be a weapon," Naruto pointed out.

Hinata nodded. "The Hyūga, and the Uchiha, have a powerful reputation. My tutors have always taught me that most ninja will fear me because of my connection to the Hyūga."

"Enemies are going to run screaming from our team, then," Naruto boasted. "The two of us are going to be awesome…if only we didn't have to pull Sasuke's dead weight around."

"Funny, Naruto," Sasuke groaned. The final physical test was the ranged weapons exam. Sasuke, of course, finished first. Surprisingly, the second highest score belonged to Akimichi Chouji. Naruto fell around the middle of the pack. Hinata had a strong showing and further secured her position as the top-ranked kunoichi.

The prospective Genin returned to the classroom. Iruka smiled as he looked at each of his students.

"We are now in the final phase of the graduation exam! Now, Mizuki-sensei and I will test you on the three jutsu!"

Iruka began the process of calling students to the examination room. Naruto groaned and put his head onto the desk.

"Naruto-kun, there isn't anything to be worried about. You will definitely pass," Hinata said soothingly.

Naruto grinned into the desk. He really liked that tone of voice. "I know. It will just take _forever_ to get to my name."

Eventually, Hinata's name was called. Hinata stood up and took a calming breath. "Wish me luck, Naruto-kun."

"You don't need luck, Hinata-chan. You've got this in the bag. Just make sure Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei don't dislocate their jaws." Naruto chuckled at his own joke.

Sasuke and Hinata exchanged a confused look. Naruto saw the look and raised an eyebrow. "You know…their jaws drop in shock at how awesome you do, Hinata-chan?"

"I get it now," Hinata giggled. It was an odd joke and not one of Naruto's best. Still, it was cute how eager he was to explain the joke. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Hinata rushed off as Mizuki-sensei began to look impatient. Naruto leaned back in his chair and groaned.

"The only bad thing about our kickass family names is that they are near the end of the alphabet," Naruto grumbled.

"I don't like waiting like this," Sasuke half-agreed.

After a maddeningly long wait, Iruka called Sasuke's name.

"Pass quickly so I can go," Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke smirked. "I want to get out of here as much as you do."

Naruto watched as his friend followed Iruka out of the room. He leaned back in his chair as the door shut. Yamanaka Ino was the only person left in the room.

"Please tell me you're as bored as I am," Naruto pleaded.

Ino huffed. "Probably, but at least you got to talk with Sasuke-kun."

"I actually talked more with Hinata-chan," Naruto pointed out.

"Still, you _talked_ with Sasuke-kun," Ino repeated. She suddenly perked up. "What have you talked about?"

"Mostly training," Naruto admitted.

"No deep conversations about what he likes?" Ino questioned.

"He likes training," Naruto retorted. He wasn't thrilled about getting grilled about Sasuke's habits.

'_I just hope she doesn't ask about 'feelings','_ Naruto thought.

"Oh," Ino was disappointed she couldn't discover anything new about Sasuke that she could hold over Sakura. Naruto, however, was saved from further questions by Iruka's reappearance.

"Naruto and Ino, I'd like to thank you for your patience. Now, it's your turn, Naruto."

"Finally!" Naruto jumped out of his seat. "Good luck, Ino!"

"Are you ready, Naruto?" Iruka asked as he shut the door.

"I've been ready for _weeks_," Naruto answered theatrically. As Naruto bragged about his preparations, he felt a bit of doubt creep into the back of his mind. _'Will they actually accept the Kage Bunshin?'_

Iruka teased Naruto about being nervous and caused Naruto to laugh at how well the teacher could read him. Mizuki was waiting at the teacher's desk. Iruka quickly joined his co-worker and nodded at Naruto.

"Alright, Naruto, please start with the transformation technique," Iruka ordered. Suddenly, he slammed his hands on the desk and leaned forward angrily. **"But not that stupid perverted version you use!"**

Naruto chuckled nervously. He rubbed the back of his head. "I have a new standard by which I judge how hot a girl is."

"I'm not sure I want to know," Mizuki drawled. Iruka nodded in agreement. "Just transform into one of us."

"Where's the fun in that?" Naruto grumbled, but complied. He quickly transformed into Iruka.

Naruto-as-Iruka scratched at his chin. "So, do I have it down?"

"Your skill with the transformation was never in doubt," Mizuki grudgingly admitted.

Naruto undid the jutsu and grinned triumphantly. "Substitution?"

The young man squawked as Mizuki and Iruka threw several wooden shuriken at him. Naruto landed in the back of the room where the trashcan used to be.

"Good instincts," Iruka joked. Naruto stuck his tongue out at Iruka and Mizuki to demonstrate his displeasure at the testing method.

"Finally, Naruto, you must show mastery of the Clone Jutsu," Mizuki said with a soft 'good luck' smile. Naruto shrugged and walked over to the window. The two teachers had no idea what the young man was planning.

Naruto opened the window and looked out. He saw Hinata and Sasuke waiting outside at one of the benches. Sasuke, much to the Uchiha's annoyance, was surrounded by some of his admirers and was being practically interrogated.

'_Time for a rescue,'_ Naruto thought to himself as he cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Oi! Hinata-chan and Sasuke!" Naruto's not-quite-official girlfriend and best friend both looked up. "I'm about to win a bet with Iruka-sensei. We'll get a free meal at Ichiraku!"

"Are you about to test for the Bunshin, Naruto-kun?" Hinata called back.

"Yep!" Naruto answered. The rest of the class erupted into chatter about how there was _no way_ Naruto could pass that test. Sasuke was actually grinning. Naruto watched as Sakura and Ino redoubled their questioning of Sasuke. It was obvious to everyone that Sasuke and Hinata knew something. "Oh, and congrats on passing without blowing Iruka-sensei's and Mizuki-sensei's minds. It would stink if I couldn't graduate with you today!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, please stop stalling," Mizuki practically growled. Naruto sighed and saluted his friends before turning to his teachers.

"Alright, let's see if you can finally pass this exam. I have faith in you, but it will be nice to have a prank-free Konoha," Iruka said proudly. He truly had faith that Naruto would pass this exam. In fact, Iruka had rarely been this sure about anything.

"Don't blame me when you can't speak for a while! Oh, and it's about to get really crowded in here!" Naruto said as he made an unfamiliar hand-seal.

"Where have I seen that before?" Mizuki pondered out loud.

"_Taj__ū__ Kage Bunshin no Jutsu,"_ Naruto shouted.

"Wait, what?" Iruka blurted out before the entire room was engulfed in a cloud of smoke.

Outside, there were several palls of smoke as well.

"Just how many did Naruto make?" Sasuke shouted in utter shock.

"I don't know how many he can make," Hinata confessed. "I know he can create at least four."

"What did Naruto do? Why are you two so shocked?" Chouji asked.

"Because Naruto just became even more troublesome and used a kinjutsu that's beyond even Jonin-level to pass his Academy exam," Shikamaru grumbled, but for once was wide awake. Naruto had become an even greater puzzle.

"Bullshit," Kiba said flatly.

* * *

Naruto stood proudly in the center of the room. He lifted his right arm to the ceiling and dramatically counted down from three on his fingers.

"So, did we pass Iruka-sensei?" Hundreds of voices asked in unison. The smoke cleared and revealed that the examination room was filled to beyond maximum capacity by Naruto clones.

Iruka wanted to speak. He wanted to win the bet he had made with Naruto. The teacher wanted to tell Naruto how amazed and impressed he was by the boy's incredible jutsu. Instead, all he could do was stare slack-jawed at the unprecedented display of power by the young man.

Mizuki stared at Naruto's accomplishment in naked disbelief. He would never move beyond his hate for the Nine-Tails, but Mizuki would not deny the power of the beast-in-human-form. It would be an incredible boon to harness that potential for the glory of Konoha. Mizuki had been harboring thoughts of absconding with the Scroll of Seals and using it to negotiate a comfortable retirement with one of the minor Shinobi villages until very recently. The teacher had truly felt that Konoha was growing soft for 'coddling' the demon. However, the meeting with the Hokage had convinced Mizuki that Naruto was being groomed to serve as a powerful weapon. The potential for the team the Hokage had created was astounding. There was one thing that was nagging at Mizuki.

"I-Is this allowed? Kage Bunshin…is a Jonin-level technique?" Mizuki asked with a dry scratchy voice.

Iruka heard his friend's words and pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed to snap him out of his stupor. "Congratulations, Naruto."

Naruto jumped in the air and whooped in triumph. Unfortunately, all of Naruto's clones jumped at the same time. The sound of nearly a hundred clones landing at once was as loud as thunder.

"I am amazed at your…progress," Mizuki said diplomatically. "It is my great 'pleasure' to pass you."

Naruto smiled broadly, and like Iruka, missed that Mizuki's pleasure at passing Naruto was anything but.

"Please, come and get a hitai-ate," Iruka said in an almost paternal tone of voice. Naruto happily complied and selected a hitai-ate. He removed his goggles and placed the hitai-ate proudly around his forehead. Naruto, for some reason, felt that his hitai-ate lacked a bit of soul.

'_I wonder what Namikaze's hitai-ate was like?'_ Naruto thought to himself. He shook off the thoughts. Uzumaki Naruto was not Uzumaki Namikaze. Naruto had finally taken the first true step towards changing the world for the better. He gave one last thank-you and reminder of the bet to Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei before opening the door to the examination room.

It was his first step towards his destiny.

* * *

**Author's note: **Raise your hand if you thought this story was dead? Well, I finally managed to pull out an update. Things have been _insanely_ busy and I was in the hospital recently. I'm doing better, still not 100% but functional. An update on a few of my other fics and my profile.

First, what all of you guys really care about...my other fics. I've actually made a good bit of progress on (le gasp) Hyuga's Hound. I've been massively stuck on a part and finally after about a dozen rewrites have moved passed the part I was stuck on. Sit down, because there's another fic that'll stun some of you. Chains of the Kindred. Yes, I'm nearly done with a new chapter of that as well. Misstep in the Right Direction, and Prince Naruto? are also in the works. Sadly, I'm probably going to officially end and possibly put up for adoption my two Naruto crossovers, Bend in the River of Fate, Terminator: Origin, and New Jedi Order: Shadow of Leviathan.

Next, I have a rant up on my profile. It is against my 'favorite' complication in NaruHina fics, the Sasuke love triangle angle. It's pretty short, but I think I get my point across. Hopefully, it'll also head off any requests on this fic.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please leave a review! Reviews really help keep the muse active!


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